ISS U.S. segment in partial shutdown due to cooling system failure
MOSCOW. Dec 12 (Interfax-AVN) - Half of the service and scientific equipment of the U.S. segment onboard the International Space Station (ISS) has been shut down due to a malfunction in the station's cooling system, a Russian space rocket industry source told Interfax-AVN.
"The latest information available suggests that specialists from the Houston-based Mission Control Center have been unable to close the valve on commands from the Earth on Circuit A of the exterior thermoregulation system onboard the ISS American segment, as a result of which this circuit has started to freeze. Due to this situation, a decision was made to switch the cooling systems of the American segment's module to Circuit B, which, however, is not coping properly," the source said.
The Japanese module Kibo, Europe's module Columbus and the U.S. module Harmony were partially shut down, he said.
"The Russian side has been informed of the current situation," he said.
This problem is not affecting the station's Russian segment, which is equipped with its own thermoregulation system.
The problems with the thermoregulation system are not posing any threat to the life and health of the crewmembers, the source said.