[ad_1]
The departure of the Russian Pirs module from the International space station was delayed until Saturday (July 24) as engineers continue to perform flight tests on its replacement.
The 20-year-old Pirs was scheduled to leave the orbit lab tomorrow (July 23) to open a niche for the Russian multipurpose research module, also known as the Nauka, which launched wednesday (July 21). But the 22-ton (20-ton) Nauka encountered a few issues on its journey to the orbiting lab, requiring a change of plan.
“After analyzing the telemetry received from the #Nauka module, rocket and space industry specialists decided to schedule the #Pirs module desorbit for Saturday, July 24,” officials from Roscosmos, the space agency, said. Russian Federal, said via Twitter today (22nd of July).
Related: The International Space Station: Inside and Out (infographic)
It has been difficult to assess the nature and severity of Nauka’s fate, as Roscosmos has not revealed many details to date. But some information comes from outside observers such as Anatoly Zak of RussianSpaceWeb, who reported that Nauka’s main engines did not perform well.
“UPDATE: #Nauka’s main engines (shown in operation) are currently out of service. Specialists resolve the issue and develop an emergency rendezvous plan. The module has about 30 stable orbits at the current altitude.” , Zak said via Twitter today.
UPDATE: #Nauka’s main engines (shown in operation) are currently out of service. Specialists solve the problem and draw up an emergency appointment plan. The module has ~ 30 stable orbits at the current altitude. EXCLUSIVE DETAILS: https://t.co/KZE3WlnXSu pic.twitter.com/uEAP4irjyiJuly 22, 2021
Troubleshooting can work. “The activation of the propulsion system test of the #Nauka module and the orbit formation pulse proceeded normally”, Roscosmos announced in another tweet today.
The 42-foot (13-meter) long Nauka, due to dock at the station on July 29, is no stranger to adversity. The International Space Station’s original plan called for the module’s launch in 2007, but a series of problems – including the discovery of metal shavings in its fuel system – continued to delay takeoff.
Nauka is the largest space lab Russia has launched to date. The module is designed to serve primarily as a research facility – “Nauka” is the Russian word for “science” – but it also includes a spare bed for a cosmonaut and an oxygen regeneration system, among other equipment.
Mike Wall is the author of “The low“(Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book on the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
[ad_2]
Source link