Silent but deadly
Astronauts on the International Space Station noticed a rancid stench this weekend when they opened the hatch of the Russian Progress freighter that had just docked with it – and NASA says anyone who wants to know more will have to talk to Mother Russia.
“For detailed information about the cause of the unusual odor, please contact us [Russian cosmonaut agency] Roscosmos,“ NASA News Chief Kelly O. Humphries told CNN. Once investigated, Roscosmos was unresponsive CNN‘s request for comment.
Smell you later
It’s possible that both the ISS and Roscosmos are trying to pass the blame for the unpleasant stench onto someone else. Neither the US nor Russia seem confident about where the odor comes from – although NASA on X-formerly Twitter suggested it could be related to “tiny droplets” astronauts saw when they opened the cargo hold.
In any case, space journalist Anatoly Zak says about his website Russian space webaccused that the stinking situation was more serious than the US or Russia suggested.
“The [Progress] The freighter made contact with the Poisk module port of call,” Zak wrote, “but afterward [crew members opened] the hatch between Poisk and Progress had to be closed immediately due to a toxic odor and possible risk of contamination in the form of droplets.”
The US suggested the smell came from the degassing of Progress’s cargo, while Russia blamed the Poisk docking mechanism, Zak said. All told, we don’t know where the smell came from, nor do we know what this latest disagreement means for the increasingly shaky relationship between NASA and Roscosmos.
NASA and Roscosmos are too in contradiction about the slowly leaking Russian part of the ISS; NASA said the leaks could lead to a “catastrophic failure,” while Roscosmos insists this is not a problem.
Usually the truth lies somewhere in between.
More about the smelly ISS: Space station astronauts complain of terrible smell after Russian capsule docks
