Cosmonauts opened the hatch to the Russian spacecraft on Monday for the second time after closing it immediately after noticing a foul smell coming from the vehicle as it docked at the International Space Station over the weekend.
The Progress supply mission was launched on November 21 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying supplies for the station’s crew. NASA said the spacecraft that docked at the Russian Poisk module on Saturday at 9:31 am ET.
According to NASA, after the Roscosmos cosmonauts opened the Progress hatch, and noticed “an unexpected smell and noticed small drops.” The crew closed the hatch and closed the rest of the Russian section.
In an update on Monday, NASA said Roscosmos cosmonauts Ivan Vagner and Aleksandr Gorbunov successfully opened the hatch and released the cargo, including three tons of food, fuel and supplies.
“Air traffic controllers on the ground turned on the air purifiers as part of a normal procedure, indicating that the odor was likely coming from the interior of the spacecraft,” NASA said. “Employees said the smell has dissipated quickly and evacuation operations are continuing on time.”
In addition to the air scrubbing, NASA said Vagner cleaned the air conditioner and took a photo of the interior of Progress.
Development is expected to remain suspended on the ISS for six months before releasing and disposing of debris from the crew.
Source of article: Russia’s launch of an unplanned space station after an unacceptable odor has been resolved