Half of the International Space Station’s cooling system has suddenly shut down, forcing the astronauts to reduce power.
NASA has decided to wait until Friday to conduct a spacewalk to replace a failed ammonia pump module on the International Space Station.
Mission managers, program managers, flight controllers, engineers, astronauts and spacewalk experts made the decision Monday evening after continuing to analyze and refine engineering requirements, and reviewing the results of an underwater practice session.
The pump failed Saturday night after a spike in electrical current tripped a circuit breaker. When the 780-pound pump failed, it shut down half of the station’s cooling system. Efforts to restart the pump, which feeds ammonia coolant into the cooling loops to maintain the proper temperature for the station’s electrical systems and avionics, were not successful. The station’s crew worked with Mission Control to put the station in a stable configuration.
Source : NASA
In Pictures : Half of International Space Station’s cooling system shuts down
