14 DAY TRIAL // The cooling system aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will reach optimal levels today, scientists announce, as its Loop A has nearly finished removing all excess heat from the facility.
The Loop's ammonia pump broke down on July 31, and was only fixed earlier this week, after NASA astronauts performed three exhausting spacewalks to replace it.
The pump was of crucial importance to the ISS, as it was in charge of circulating the ammonia coolant in pipes running through the American-built segment of the orbital lab.
This means that the six astronauts making up Expedition 24 had to shut down a number of scientific experiments, as well as certain ISS systems, so as to minimize their heat output.
Now, with the Loop back online, and the ammonia pump working at full speed, all systems and experiments are beginning to be brought online gradually.
The astronauts are working closely with experts at Mission Control on this one, as a lot of precautions need to be taken in order to ensure that no other glitches occur.
NASA officials announce that the station’s thermal control system is now whole again, which means that the Loop has been reintegrated flawlessly into the current ISS configuration, Space Fellowship reports.
The European-built Columbus laboratory and the Japanese-built Kibo, which are home to a large number of scientific experiments, have also been reconnected to the cooling system, and are currently kept at optimum temperatures.
Yesterday was a calm day for the crew of the ISS, which had only light duties to perform following the two weeks they spent trying to fix the Loop A.
The crew ignited the boosters of the Progress 38 cargo capsule, which is currently docked to the station, in order to boost the perigee of its orbit by about three statute miles.
The movement was important for setting the orbital facility in the correct configuration for the September departure of current ISS Commander Alexander Skvortsov (RosCosmos), and flight engineers Tracy Caldwell Dyson (NASA) and Mikhail Kornienko (RosCosmo).
The new orbit also makes it possible for the Russian-built Progress 39 spacecraft to dock to the ISS, after its predecessor is loaded up with garbage, and then deorbited above the Pacific Ocean.
The capsule will burn completely upon reentry, experts say, due to the steep angle of attack and the lack of any protective shields.