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  ISS crew detects odor; atmosphere recovery efforts under way

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Author Topic:   ISS crew detects odor; atmosphere recovery efforts under way
Robert Pearlman
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Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-18-2006 09:00 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
From NASA:
quote:
Shortly before 7:30 a.m. EDT, the International Space Station Expedition 13 crew reported an odor in the Zvezda Service Module and manually activated an alarm to begin emergency procedures. The source of the odor was quickly determined to be an apparent leak of potassium hydroxide in the station's Elektron oxygen generation system. Potassium hydroxide, or caustic potash, can be an irritant to crew members, but is not a classified as a life-threatening toxin.

The crew donned surgical masks, goggles and gloves for protection from the apparently small leak. Continual measurements of the station atmosphere have indicated levels of any contaminants are very low. The crew also has begun a standard procedure to scrub the air onboard to ensure no potassium hydroxide vapors remain.

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov reported to Russian flight controllers at about 7:45 a.m. that the situation had stabilized and that he cleaned up a chemical near the Elektron oxygen generation system.

International Space Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini said the incident will have no impact on the upcoming arrival of the Expedition 14 crew on Wednesday.


More coverage:

Space Station Crew Detects Smoke-like Smell in Russian Segment (SPACE.com)

Oxygen generator problem triggers station alarm (Spaceflight Now)

All times are CT (US)

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