NASA orders emergency spacewalks for ISS repairsDecember 18, 2013 - 09:34 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. space agency has ordered a series of emergency spacewalks to carry out repairs on a broken cooling line at the International Space Station, according to BBC News. NASA said the work to replace a faulty pump module would require two astronauts and three spacewalks - the first of which is planned for Saturday, Dec 21. Half of the cooling system automatically shut down last week after detecting abnormal temperatures. NASA said the situation was potentially serious but not life-threatening. The pump is associated with one of the station's two external cooling loops, NASA said in a statement. The two external cooling loops circulate ammonia outside the station to keep both internal and external equipment cool. NASA said the repairs would take priority over the launch of a supply ship from Virginia, which has now been postponed until January. Each spacewalk is scheduled to last six-and-a-half hours and will be broadcast on NASA TV. NASA said last week that it suspected a malfunction had affected a flow control valve inside the pump itself. The teams moved certain electrical systems over to the second loop, but the space agency stressed that the crew and the station were in no danger. Some non-critical systems were powered down inside the Harmony node, the Kibo laboratory and the Columbus laboratory whilst engineers worked to figure out what had caused the problem and how to fix it. Related links: Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | 17 bridges collapse as a result of floods in Armenia As a result of floods in Armenia’s northern Lori and Tavush provinces, 17 bridges, including five large ones, have collapsed. Armenia: Top cleric to retain title as he bids to become interim PM Galstanyan said earlier that the interim government would be tasked with stopping the “destruction of our homeland”. Ex-mayor of Karabakh capital arrested in Yerevan Ex-mayor of the Nagorno-Karabakh city of Stepanakert David Sargsyan has been arrested for 20 days. 269 people evacuated amid severe floods in Armenia’s north According to the Interior Ministry, 269 people have been evacuated from their homes in Lori and Tavush provinces. |