Something unusual has occurred with the Russian spacecraft in orbit: here's what we know.

Astronauts have finally managed to retrieve the cargo delivered to the ISS by the Progress spacecraft, after the unloading process was delayed due to a peculiar odor.

https://focus.ua/technologies/680703-chto-to-strannoe-proizoshlo-s-rossiyskim-kosmicheskim-korablem-na-orbite-chto-izvestno2024-11-27 07:50:43

Russian astronauts have opened the hatch of the cargo spacecraft "Progress MS-29" to retrieve supplies delivered to the International Space Station (ISS), after the craft was sealed for a while due to an unusual odor emanating from it, reports Space.

On the evening of November 25, NASA reported that the smell dissipated, allowing the astronauts to open the hatch of the cargo ship to collect the delivered cargo. The U.S. space agency stated that the strange odor posed no danger to the astronauts. It is likely that the smell originated from materials inside the cargo spacecraft, NASA reported, but the agency did not provide detailed information on what might have caused it. NASA confirmed that the air quality on the ISS had not deteriorated.

At the same time, according to Anatoly Zak from the online project RussianSpaceWeb, for a period, Russian astronauts wore additional protective gear as a precautionary measure following the detection of the unusual smell.

Currently, the hatch between the Russian and American segments of the ISS is generally closed. This is due to a persistent air leak observed in the Russian section of the orbital station since 2019. NASA and Roscosmos are working to resolve this issue, but both space agencies assert that this leak does not pose a threat to the astronauts.

Nevertheless, NASA and Roscosmos have yet to reach a consensus on the cause of the air leak and how to address it. The space agencies are also debating the long-term implications of this air leak for the ISS.

As for the "Progress MS-29" cargo spacecraft, it will remain connected to the ISS for several more months. During this time, astronauts will fill it with trash and unnecessary equipment, after which the Russian spacecraft is expected to return to Earth and burn up in its atmosphere in 2025.

Over the past nearly two years, Russian spacecraft have faced several issues. For instance, in December 2022, a significant coolant leak occurred on the crewed spacecraft "Soyuz." As a result, Roscosmos had to send a new spacecraft into orbit to retrieve three astronauts from the ISS. Consequently, the astronauts spent a year in space instead of the planned six months. Additionally, in February 2023, there was also a coolant leak on the cargo spacecraft "Progress."