Module on International Space Station Evacuated
January 14, 2015
It’s been a week of ups and downs for astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station (ISS). NASA identified signs of a possible ammonia leak in the U.S. module. (Ammonia is used for the heating and cooling systems on the craft.) An alarm was sounded and the crew put on face masks, hurried to the Russian segment of the craft, and closed the hatch behind them. NASA says it may have been a false alarm. All six astronauts onboard are safe.
On the up side, on January 12, a 2.5-ton (2.25 metric ton) shipment of supplies—including groceries, spare parts, children’s science experiments, and Christmas presents (a little late)—was delivered to the station by a Dragon supply ship, two days after it lifted off.
The International Space Station functions as an observatory, laboratory, and workshop. Astronauts and cosmonauts live and work in cylindrical modules. (NASA)
The space station had been getting low on supplies, as a delivery ship scheduled to arrive in October 2014 exploded during its launch. A Russian Progress ship delivered some supplies to the ISS later in October, but the launch date of the Dragon ship, originally meant for December, had been pushed back three times before its mid-January launch. The Dragon ship is owned by Space X, a space transport company owned by South African entrepreneur Elon Musk.
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