A Russian cosmonaut noticed an “unexpected odor” and “observed small droplets” inside the unpiloted Progress 90 resupply spacecraft after it docked at the International Space Station (ISS).
On November 24, 2024, NASA said that the strange smell prompted the ISS crew to “close the Poisk hatch to the rest of the Russian segment” until further investigation could be undertaken.
The Progress 90 resupply spacecraft successfully docked to the Poisk module on November 23, 2024, where upon the cosmonaut proceeded to open the hatch.
According to NASA, air scrubbers and contaminant sensors subsequently monitored the atmosphere on board the ISS and on November 24, 2024, “flight controllers determined air quality inside the space station was at normal levels”.
The Progress 90 cargo craft from Roscosmos docked during an automated procedure to the International Space Station’s Poisk module at 9:31 a.m. EST on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. pic.twitter.com/E0EkDiJKmj
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) November 23, 2024
“There are no concerns for the crew, and as of Sunday afternoon, the crew is working to open the hatch between Poisk and Progress while all other space station operations are proceeding as planned,” said a spokesperson for NASA.
NASA initially celebrated the arrival of Progress 90 which launched on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on November 21, 2024.
The spacecraft is delivering about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 72 crew aboard the space station and will remain docked for around six months before departing for a re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
There are three Russian cosmonauts currently aboard the ISS – Alexy Ovchinin, Ivan Wagner and Aleksandr Gorbunov.