Posted: Wed, Jan 7, 2004, 1:27 PM ET (1827 GMT)
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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.