A nauseating odor fills the International Space Station following the arrival of the Russian Progress MS-29 spacecraft

There is a foul smell aboard the International Space Station after a Russian cargo ship arrived at its orbital station on Saturday.

A “toxic” smell. The arrival of the Russian Progress MS-29 spacecraft at the International Space Station was uneventful until astronauts Alexei Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner moved to open the hatch.

When they opened it, they noticed a strong odor and small droplets in the air, causing them to immediately close access to the ship. According to Russian Space Web, astronauts described it as a “toxic” smell.

Protective measures were activated. Russian astronauts put on their protective equipment and activated special systems to purify the air in the Russian segment of the International Space Station.

At the same time, NASA activated the contaminant purification and control systems of the space station’s American segment.

It reached the American segment. NASA astronaut Don Pettit smelled the smell from Node 3 of the American segment of the International Space Station.

Pettit reported an odor similar to spray paint to ground controllers, but NASA has not confirmed whether this perception was related to Progress MS-29.

Research is in progress. Russian space agency Roscosmos is working to identify the source of the odor and droplets observed when opening the hatch of Progress MS-29.

Procedures are also being put in place to safely open the hatch between the Poisk module and Progress, ensuring there is no risk to the crew.

Growing history of events. This is not the first technical problem involving a Russian spacecraft on the International Space Station. In February 2023, a Progress spacecraft experienced a loss of pressure in its cooling system while docked with the International Space Station.

Also of concern are air leaks found in the Zvezda module and three incidents related to leaks in Soyuz spacecraft, one of which was first attributed to sabotage and later to a micrometeoroid.

Meanwhile, Russia is planning to launch its own space station before the International Space Station is retired in 2030.

Image | Roscosmos

In Xataka The Russian space agency is still far better than NASA at one thing: long-duration space travel