spacetoday.net: Air scrubber suspected in ISS air leak

Air scrubber suspected in ISS air leak

Posted: Wed, Jan 7, 2004, 1:27 PM ET (1827 GMT)
ISS illustration (NASA)

A small air leak reported on the International Space Station earlier this week may be associated with a carbon dioxide scrubber, according to NASA officials. The two-man ISS crew took time Tuesday in an effort to track down the leak, which has lowered the station's air pressure by only a few percent, but were unable to conclusively identify its source. Current speculation centers around a Russian-built Vozdukh unit that removes carbon dioxide from the station’s atmosphere. The crew will check the unit later this week. The leak rate is small enough ™ about 1.2 kilograms per day ™ that the leak can be compensated for with air reserves for up to six months.