Russian Cosmonauts Respond to Unusual Odor on the ISS

Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station (ISS) briefly locked down a segment of the station after noticing an unusual odor coming from a cargo spacecraft, Progress 90, NASA reported on Sunday.

The odor, along with droplets observed by the cosmonauts, was likely caused by "outgassing" from materials inside the Russian spacecraft. NASA announced that there are no safety concerns for the crew.

The uncrewed Progress capsule, which carries supplies to the ISS, uses toxic fuel and oxidiers, but NASA confirmed that the issue wasn't related to these propellants. "Outgassing" can happen when objects leave Earth’s atmosphere and enter the harsh conditions of space, where temperatures vary greatly.

NASA stated that after the odor was noticed, cosmonauts shut the hatch connecting the Progress spacecraft to the ISS.

Flight controllers then activated air scrubbing equipment to clear the air, which helped the odor dissipate quickly.

The crew was able to continue transferring supplies from the spacecraft on schedule.

NASA, verifying its air scrubbers and contaminant sensors, has confirmed that air quality inside the space station is normal.

The Progress spacecraft had arrived at the ISS on November 21, bringing nearly three tons of supplies, including food and fuel. This incident adds to ongoing issues with a separate Russian module, Zvezda, which has had a slow air leak and is mostly closed.

NASA plans to operate the ISS with international partners through at least 2030. However, Russia has not committed to staying on the station beyond 2028.