A newcomer causes trouble on the International Space Station: the Russian module “Nauka” ignites the engines after docking – the ISS gets out of control.
Houston / Frankfurt – For the International Space Station ISS and its seven current residents: there is currently a lot to do inside: On Thursday (July 29th, 2021) the new Russian module “Nauka” reached the ISS and was docked. One day later, a test flight of the Boeing spacecraft “CST-100 Starliner” was supposed to start, which should reach the ISS on Saturday (July 31st, 2021) and also dock. However, this will not work out for now – the Russian module has thrown the plans upside down. But not only the plans of the US space organization Nasa have faltered – the space station itself has also gone off course.
It must have been a moment of shock for the astronauts on board the ISS: “Nauka” had been docked at the space station for about three hours when suddenly the engines of the new module fired “unintentionally and unexpectedly,” as NASA later announced on Twitter . The result: the entire space station began to change its position. A short time later, the control centers in Houston and Moscow intervened: First, the engines of an ISS service module were ignited to stabilize the space station. Then a Russian “Progress” space capsule, which is currently docked at the ISS, took over the work and ignited its engines.
International space station ISS out of control: Russian module “Nauka” ignites engines
A kind of “tug of war” began, as it was called at a later press conference. The Russian module “Nauka” pulled on one side of the ISS, while the Russian “Progress” freighter held against it on the other side. The tug-of-war only ended when “Nauka” ran out of fuel. The International Space Station was out of control for almost an hour before it was successfully brought back into position.
ISS rotates 45 degrees – NASA: Astronauts: inside were not in danger
The ISS had rotated a total of 45 degrees during the incident – which can be a big problem under certain circumstances, because the orientation of the ISS is precisely planned, among other things in order to stay in contact with the control centers on earth via geostationary satellites. The solar panels of the space station are also aligned so that they can collect solar energy when the space station is aligned. The rapid rotation of the ISS can pose a far greater problem for the structure of the space station: a large number of the modules that make up the 109-meter-long space station were first assembled in space and are designed for weightlessness. Even small forces acting on the space station could cause small cracks or other problems with the structure of the space station, reports the Ars Technica portal.
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According to NASA, there was no danger for the seven astronauts who are currently living in the ISS and doing research there. In the meantime, all systems are functioning normally again. According to ISS program manager Joel Montalbano, a NASA team is already investigating whether there are any effects on the structure of the space station. The Russian side is meanwhile investigating the “Nauka” module, and initial assessments are to be made on Friday (local time).
International space station ISS out of control: “Starliner” test flight is postponed
One effect of the brief loss of control of the ISS is already known: NASA has postponed the second test flight of the Boeing Starliner from Friday (July 30th, 2021) to Tuesday (August 3rd, 2021) at the earliest. If everything goes according to plan this time, the unmanned spacecraft will dock on Wednesday (August 4th, 2021).
The Russian module “Nauka” will be fully integrated into the ISS in the coming months, which will require several spacecraft missions. “Nauka” started for the ISS last week, the module is primarily used for research and storage of laboratory equipment. The ERA robotic arm from the European Space Agency Esa is also on board and is the first robotic arm to be able to reach the Russian part of the space station. “Nauka” has already been delayed for many years: the module was originally supposed to be brought to the ISS in 2007. (Tanja Banner)
Rubric list image: © Nasa/Roscosmos
