ISS Crew to Look for Air Leak With Infrared Camera

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The crew of the International Space Station (ISS) will use a US infrared camera to look for an oxygen leak in the Russian Zvezda module, according to a communication of the crew with Earth, broadcast by NASA.

A specialist from the NASA Mission Control Centre has asked astronaut Christopher Cassidy to find the infrared camera and batteries to give to his Russian colleagues to search for the leakage in the module's transfer chamber.

Previously, the crew used GoPro cameras, thin strips of confetti and plastic, plastic bags and even a stethoscope to find the leak.

The leak was first detected in September 2019. In August and September of 2020, after the leakage increased five times — from 270 grammes to 1.4 kilogrammes (9.5 ounces to 3 pounds) of air per day, the crew closed hatches in the ISS modules twice in order to test how airtight they were. In the end, the leak was located in the transfer chamber. The crew is currently working on finding and fixing the leak.

The current ISS crew includes Anatoly Ivanishin, Ivan Vagner and NASA astronaut Christopher Cassidy.