spacetoday.net: Spacewalking astronauts to attempt to repair ISS coolant leak

Spacewalking astronauts to attempt to repair ISS coolant leak

Posted: Sat, May 11, 2013, 9:29 AM ET (1329 GMT)
ISS EVA on 2012 November 1 (NASA)

NASA approved plans late Friday to have two astronauts perform an emergency spacewalk Saturday to investigate and attempt to repair a leak in the station's cooling system. Astronauts Tom Marshburn and Chris Cassidy will start the EVA Saturday morning to study a leak of ammonia coolant in the P6 truss segment first noticed on Thursday. The pump in that coolant loop was shut down to slow the leak. The spacewalking astronauts will attempt to track down the source of the leak and, if possible, repair the leak by replacing the pump box. The spacewalk will not affect plans for Marshburn and two other ISS crewmembers to leave the station Monday on a Soyuz program as previously planned.