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          International Space Station Crew Looking to Fix Ammonia Leak

   The International Space Station crew is preparing for an emergency
   space walk Saturday to fix an ammonia coolant leak from the orbiting
   laboratory.
   The space station`s commander, Canadian Chris Hadfield, described the
   leak Friday as a "serious situation," but one that has been stabilized
   by the six-member crew. He said on his Twitter account that two
   American astronauts, Chris Cassidy and Tom Marshburn, are getting their
   space suits ready to go outside the spacecraft to find the source of
   the leak and fix it.
   The U.S. space agency NASA said the crew was not in danger and that the
   station otherwise continues to operate normally.
   Space station crew members reported the leak Thursday, with Hadfield
   describing the problem for the spaceship`s ground controllers at NASA`s
   command center in Houston, Texas.
   "Houston - Station. This is Chris. Space to Ground One.... I was back
   in the docking compartment looking. I was just talking with Tom and
   Chris who sounds like they can back up completely what they saw, a very
   steady stream of flakes or bits coming out of... then rotating towards
   the... as the truss is rotating, so... we`re just waiting to rotate now
   in order to get a decent view out of the gym.``
   NASA says the rate of ammonia escaping has increased since it was first
   reported, but adds that the station is functioning normally.
   Ammonia is used to cool the station`s power systems that provide
   electricity to the station. NASA says it is working to reroute other
   power to maintain full operation of solar arrays. NASA says the leaking
   array could be shut down.
   The station had a similar leak last year, but it is not clear whether
   this leak is from the same source.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/international-space-station-crew-look
   ing-to-fix-ammonia-leak/1658526.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/international-space-station-crew-looking-to-fix-ammonia-leak/1658526.html