Thruster Misfire on Russian Module Knocks Space Station Out of Position

ISS Configuration July 29 2021

July 29, 2021: International Space Station Configuration. Three spaceships are docked at the space station including the SpaceX Crew Dragon and Russia’s Soyuz MS-18 crew ship and ISS Progress 78 resupply ship. The new Nauka Multipurpose Logistics Module (MLM) is now attached to the Zvezda service module’s Earth-facing port. Credit: NASA

Space Station Stable After Earlier Unplanned MLM Thruster Firing

Following the docking of the Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM), named Nauka (the Russian word for “science”) to the International Space Station at 9:29 am EDT, Russian cosmonauts aboard the space station conducted leak checks between Nauka and the service module. At 12:45 pm, the flight control team noticed the unplanned firing of MLM thrusters that caused the station to move out of orientation. Ground teams have regained attitude control and the motion of the space station is stable.

The crew was never and is not in any danger, and flight controllers in Mission Control Houston are monitoring the status of the space station.

Nauka Approaches Space Station

Nauka approaches the space station, preparing to dock. Credit: NASA

NASA and Boeing have decided to stand down from Friday’s launch attempt of the agency’s Orbital Flight Test-2 mission. Currently, launch teams are assessing the next available opportunity. The move allows the International Space Station team time to continue working checkouts of the newly arrived Roscosmos’ Nauka module and to ensure the station will be ready for Starliner’s arrival.

2 Comments on "Thruster Misfire on Russian Module Knocks Space Station Out of Position"

  1. Andrew Shelton | July 31, 2021 at 6:27 am | Reply

    What happened to additional pages that have been on bottom of Scitechdaily.com?

  2. Smarter than a Circus Dog | July 31, 2021 at 12:05 pm | Reply

    Good call by NASA. This is a sketchy start for the Russians. Maybe they were hacked.

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