{"id":1941,"date":"2019-05-16T23:51:21","date_gmt":"2019-05-16T20:51:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.xairforces.com\/?p=1941"},"modified":"2019-05-20T00:20:20","modified_gmt":"2019-05-19T21:20:20","slug":"russia-wants-answers-from-nasa-about-alcohol-smell-on-iss-after-dragon-docking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.xairforces.com\/?p=1941","title":{"rendered":"Russia Wants Answers From NASA About Alcohol Smell on ISS After Dragon Docking"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Last month, outside observers marked concerns with SpaceX’s Dragon 2 programme after one of the crew capsules unexpectedly exploded during a static fire test.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"NASA<\/a>

NASA International Space Station (ISS) with Dragon 2 spacecraft (Photo by CC0)<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Russia has sent NASA observations and questions regarding the release of\u00a0isopropyl alcohol into\u00a0the International Space Station (ISS) after\u00a0a Dragon 2 spacecraft docked there in\u00a0March, Pavel Vlasov, chief of\u00a0the Cosmonaut Training Centre outside\u00a0Moscow, has told Sputnik.<\/p>\n

“Yes, as\u00a0far as\u00a0I understand, this spacecraft caused the emission of\u00a0isopropyl alcohol into\u00a0the atmosphere aboard\u00a0the ISS. Observations have been made and questions asked,” Vlasov said, adding that the Russia directed the questions to\u00a0NASA, rather than\u00a0to SpaceX itself.<\/p>\n

On 3 March, an unusually high concentration of\u00a0isopropyl alcohol was\u00a0registered\u00a0in\u00a0the air circulating within\u00a0the ISS after\u00a0the arrival of\u00a0an unmanned Dragon 2 capsule. The colourless liquid, commonly used in\u00a0cosmetics, household chemicals and medicine, can cause headaches and eye and respiratory irritation through\u00a0long-term contact, and damage to\u00a0equipment.<\/p>\n

A Russian rocket and space industry source told Sputnik that the higher than normal concentration of the chemical was the result of the Dragon 2 capsule, with normal levels recorded before the craft docked. The smell began to dissipate after the test capsule undocked from the station and returned to Earth, with the crew turning on air purification systems to deal with the chemical buildup.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Russian media, veteran cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov said there were several possible sources which may have caused the smell, including chemicals which may have been used to disinfect the ship back on Earth, or the materials used in its construction.<\/p>\n

One problem, according to Vinogradov, was that isopropyl alcohol itself is “quite ambiguous” as a chemical. “It may seem that there is isopropyl alcohol, when in reality these are other compounds,” he said.<\/p>\n

SpaceX has faced a litany of\u00a0problems with\u00a0the development of\u00a0its Dragon 2 spacecraft in\u00a0recent months, with\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0emerging earlier this week that the company experienced problems with\u00a0parachute testing last month after\u00a0testing failed to\u00a0adequately respond to\u00a0a contingency where one of\u00a0the four parachutes had failed, resulting in\u00a0damage once the craft hit the ground.<\/p>\n

Earlier, a Dragon 2 crew capsule was\u00a0completely destroyed<\/a>\u00a0after\u00a0unexpectedly bursting into\u00a0flames during\u00a0a routine ground test. The company only confirmed the loss of\u00a0the capsule last week, saying it was “not great news” given its plans to\u00a0launch astronauts into\u00a0space aboard\u00a0the craft later this year.<\/p>\n