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Russian cosmonauts to start eliminating second crack aboard orbital outpost on March 9

They will clean the surface in the area of the air leak and apply the first layer of a sealant, the Energia Space Rocket Corporation told TASS

MOSCOW, March 9. /TASS/. Russian cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov currently working aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will launch work on Tuesday to eliminate the second air leak in the Zvezda module, the press office of Russia’s Energia Space Rocket Corporation told TASS on Tuesday.

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Cosmonauts register air pressure drop in orbital outpost’s compartment with air leak

"As part of the work to eliminate an air leak in the Zvezda module, the crew of the International Space Station will start repair and recovery operations in the hull on Tuesday," the press office said.

As the Energia Space Rocket Corporation specified, the cosmonauts will work under the direction of specialists of Russia’s Flight Control Center to clean the surface in the area of the air leak and apply the first layer of a sealant.

Last week, cosmonauts Ryzhikov and Kud-Sverchkov carried out repair and recovery work in the Russian Zvezda module where a crack and some potential air leak spots had been detected. The Russian crewmembers conducted all the operations under the direction of the ISS Russian Segment’s main operational control group and Energia engineers.

All the Russian crew’s operations are being agreed with NASA specialists stage-by-stage on an instruction from state corporation Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin.

Last week, cosmonaut Ryzhikov applied three layers of a sealant and placed a patch on the first crack in the Zvezda module. On March 6, he applied another layer of the sealant from the end of the installed patch.

The cosmonauts will carry out the work to seal the second fracture this week. On March 8, the cosmonauts elaborated a detailed plan under the direction of specialists from the ISS Russian Segment’s main operational control group for further repair and recovery work. The Russian crewmembers also prepared the necessary equipment for treating the module’s surface, applying the sealant and placing a patch.

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