International Space Station Emergency After Cooling System Fails, Crew Not In Danger | HuffPost

International Space Station Emergency After Cooling System Fails

Paul Vale— The Huffington Post UK

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The emergency on the ISS was reported late on Wednesday night

AP

UPDATE: Nasa has released the following statement:

Earlier today, the pump module on one of the space station’s two external cooling loops automatically shut down when it reached pre-set temperature limits. These loops circulate ammonia outside the station to keep both internal and external equipment cool. The flight control teams worked to get the cooling loop back up and running, and they suspect a flow control valve actually inside the pump itself might not be functioning correctly. At no time was the crew or the station itself in any danger, but the ground teams did work to move certain electrical systems over to the second loop. Some non-critical systems have been powered down inside the Harmony node, the Kibo laboratory and the Columbus laboratory while the teams work to figure out what caused the valve to not function correctly and how to fix it. The crew is safe and preparing to begin a normal sleep shift while experts on the ground collect more data and consider what troubleshooting activities may be necessary.

An emergency situation was reported on board the International Space Station (ISS) after a cooling system failed. The news was first reported by NBC around 10.50pm (GMT). According to Nasa, the astronauts are not currently in danger.

A spacewalk may be required to fix the problem.

Speaking to Mashable, a Nasa spokesperson confirmed that the cooling system pump had shut down due to low temperatures.

They said: "The teams want to understand the system performance before activating the system. A flow control valve is not operating as anticipated. The teams are trying to understand what they are seeing.. The team may power off selected components to avoid over heating while they watch the flow control valve and temperature control capability."

NASA spokesman Josh Byerly told NBC, "The crew was never in any danger. They worked to keep the freezers going... They're fine for the near future."

Spacewalk Photos

Spacewalk Photos(01 of25)

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Expedition 32 flight engineer, appears to touch the bright sun during the mission’s third session of extravehicular activity (EVA) on Sept. 5, 2012. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(02 of25)

Astronaut Ed White performed the first American spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission on June 3, 1965. It lasted 23 minutes. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(03 of25)

Ed White during his historic spacewalk. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(04 of25)

Bruce McCandless II ventured farther away from the confines and safety of his ship than any previous astronaut ever has. This space first was made possible by the Manned Manuevering Unit or MMU, a nitrogen jet propelled backpack. After a series of test maneuvers inside and above Challenger's payload bay, McCandless went "free-flying" to a distance of 320 feet away from the orbiter (1984). (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(05 of25)

Astronaut Bruce McCandless conducts a spacewalk using a jet pack called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) in 1984. He is 320 feet from the orbiter. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(06 of25)

Astronaut Stephen K. Robinson, STS-114 mission specialist, anchored to a foot restraint on the International Space Station’s Canadarm2, participates in the mission’s third session of extravehicular activity (2005). (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(07 of25)

Astronaut Jack Lousma helped install a solar shield on the Skylab space station in 1973. The shield protected part of Skylab from the sun's heat. Look closely in Lousma's helmet to see a reflection of Earth. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(08 of25)

Astronauts Richard Hieb, Thomas Akers and Pierre Thuot (left to right) pull a satellite into the space shuttle's cargo bay for repairs in 1992. The STS-49 mission was the first time three astronauts went on a spacewalk together. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(09 of25)

Astronauts Bernard Harris Jr. (right), and Michael Foale (left) get ready to go on a spacewalk in the airlock of space shuttle Discovery in 1994. Harris was the first African-American to walk in space. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(10 of25)

Astronaut Carl Meade (left) wears the backpack called SAFER, which could be used to move an astronaut back to the spacecraft after becoming untethered. Astronaut Mark Lee stands connected to the space shuttle robotic arm in 1994. (credit:NASA)

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Astronaut James Newman waves at the camera in 1998. He is holding on to a handrail of the Unity connecting module of the space station. His spacewalk lasted 7 hours and 21 minutes. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(12 of25)

Astronauts prepare for spacewalks in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab. Here, a crew member prepares to work inside of a Hubble telescope mock-up. (credit:NASA)

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Astronaut Scott Parazynski smiles as he peeks into the Destiny Laboratory window on the ISS in 2001. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(14 of25)

Astronaut John Herrington is suited up and ready to leave the airlock to begin a spacewalk on the ISS in 2002. Herrington was the first Native American to walk in space. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(15 of25)

Astronaut Chris Hadfield "dangles upside down" in the shadow of the International Space Station in 2003. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(16 of25)

Astronaut Joseph Tanner's Kevlar tether line is pulled tightly as he moves outside the ISS in 2006. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(17 of25)

Astronaut Scott Parazynski moves toward a tear in one of the space station's solar array blankets in 2007. He is attached to the end of the Orbiter Boom Sensor System, or OBSS. (credit:NASA)

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Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria holds the American record for the amount of time spent walking in space. He has performed 10 spacewalks totaling 67 hours and 40 minutes. He was also named the first Hispanic astronaut to perform a spacewalk in 2007. (credit:NASA)

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Astronaut Peggy Whitson holds the world record for the woman with the most spacewalks, with a total of five. This record was set while Whitson was the commander of Expedition 16 in 2007. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(20 of25)

Expedition 16 flight engineer Daniel Tani smiles while participating in an extravehicular activity outside the ISS in 2008. (credit:NASA)

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Astronaut Rick Linnehan can be seen through a window on space shuttle Endeavour's flight deck in 2008. (credit:NASA)

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STS-123 mission specialist Rick Linnehan takes a picture during the mission's third spacewalk in 2008. (credit:NASA)

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Astronaut Dave Wolf prepares to enter the airlock on the ISS in 2009. Astronaut Christopher Cassidy's feet and backpack are also visible. (credit:NASA)

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Astronaut John Grunsfeld works on the Hubble Space Telescope during space shuttle mission STS-125 in 2009. During the spacewalks, astronauts replaced parts that were no longer working and added new parts. (credit:NASA)

Spacewalk Photos(25 of25)

Astronaut Christopher Cassidy sports a wide variety of tools for his spacewalk outside the ISS in 2009. (credit:NASA)

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