The International Space Station is having problems again! According to information released by the Russian Space Agency, on Monday, a coolant leak occurred in the multi-functional experimental module of the Russian "Science" spacecraft connected to the International Space Station, with a large amount of coolant sprayed into outer space from the spare radiator pipeline.At that time, NASA staff called out to the astronauts of the International Space Station, asking them to look out of the station's window and see if there were snowflake like objects floating outside

The International Space Station is having problems again! According to information released by the Russian Space Agency, on Monday, a coolant leak occurred in the multi-functional experimental module of the Russian "Science" spacecraft connected to the International Space Station, with a large amount of coolant sprayed into outer space from the spare radiator pipeline.

At that time, NASA staff called out to the astronauts of the International Space Station, asking them to look out of the station's window and see if there were snowflake like objects floating outside. Subsequently, an astronaut confirmed that the radiator of the multi-functional experimental module of the Russian "Science" spacecraft was leaking.

This is not the issue of coolant leakage in the International Space Station cabin. In December of last year, the Russian Federation MS-22 manned spacecraft that docked with the International Space Station experienced a coolant leak. Subsequently, in February of this year, the Russian MS-21 cargo spacecraft that docked with the International Space Station also experienced a similar coolant leak. Now, the multifunctional experimental module of Russia's "Science" has once again encountered such problems.

The International Space Station has experienced three similar coolant leaks in less than a year, all of which occurred in Russian cabins or spacecraft. What's going on here?

The Soyuz MS-22 manned spacecraft, which leaked in December last year, found a small hole with a diameter of approximately 0.8 millimeters outside the spacecraft. Experts believe it may be caused by a micro meteorite impact, and the reason for the coolant leakage on the MS-21 cargo spacecraft is similar, which NASA also recognizes. If this is the reason, it is an unexpected event, which cannot be attributed to technical issues. However, it is currently uncertain what caused the coolant leakage in the multifunctional experimental module of the "Science" spacecraft. However, if we take a look at some basic information about the multifunctional experimental module of the "Science", we may discover some problems.

The multifunctional experimental module of the "Science" spacecraft was launched in July 2021 and successfully docked with the International Space Station to expand the Russian segment of the station.

The "Science" multifunctional experimental module is the first large-scale module deployed by Russia since the completion of the International Space Station in 2011. In the future, this multifunctional experimental module may become the core module of Russia's new space station.

Although the multifunctional experimental module of the "Science" has only been launched in the past two years, it is actually a very old equipment. In 1998, the first segment of the International Space Station, the Dawn, was launched, and this "Science" multifunctional experimental module was the ground backup segment of the Dawn, which had already started construction in 1995. It was not until 2004 that Russia decided to transform this backup module into a true flight module to expand the Russian segment of the International Space Station.

Russia has high expectations for this "Science" multifunctional experimental module and directly uses it as the core module teacher of the space station. It plans to use it as the core module for its independent construction of the International Space Station after its retirement.

From the perspective of size and function, the "Science" multifunctional experiment can actually serve as the core module of the space station, as it is about 13 meters long, 4.11 meters in diameter, and has a mass of 20.3 tons. It not only has cargo storage space, but also is equipped with comprehensive life support functions, including astronaut beds and toilets, as well as water oxygen regeneration system and urine water regeneration system, which can improve the living conditions of astronauts.

According to the initial plan, the "Science" multifunctional experimental module was originally planned to be launched in 2007, but due to various reasons, the launch time was pushed back and forth until July 2021. Although the launch time is only 2 years, it is actually an antique with an age of over 20 years.

Due to its early development and long parking time, many devices have actually started to age, and even the engine has passed the warranty period. Once, there was a leak in the recommendation system of the multifunctional experimental module of the "Science", so scientists made adjustments to it at that time.

After launch, scientists conducted an 8-day autonomous flight of the "Science" multifunctional experimental module and conducted four orbit corrections to test the performance of the propulsion system. Only after confirming that there were no leakage issues did the "Science" multifunctional experimental module dock with the International Space Station.

As an "elderly" segment in its twenties, many equipment in the "Science" multifunctional experimental module has aged, so now it has experienced coolant leakage, which may have been expected by some people.

Fortunately, although there was a coolant leak, the Russian Space Agency stated that the seven astronauts inside the International Space Station were not in any danger. NASA has not yet responded to this.

Can Shenzhou 17 go to rescue

Now the International Space Station is facing problems. Although Russia has stated that astronauts are not in danger, if there is a serious space accident on the International Space Station, can our Shenzhou spacecraft carry out rescue operations? Now our Shenzhou-17 spacecraft is ready to launch, in a standby state, and can carry out emergency rescue missions. If necessary, can Shenzhou-17 spacecraft go to the International Space Station to help them retrieve astronauts?

This is not feasible. The reason why the Shenzhou 17 spacecraft is on standby is to ensure the safety of the Shenzhou 16 spacecraft astronauts. The Shenzhou-16 spacecraft has been in orbit for over 4 months now and will return to Earth early next month. During this process, if there is an emergency situation that requires emergency rescue for the Shenzhou-16 spacecraft or our space station, the standby Shenzhou-17 spacecraft will be launched at the fastest speed to pick up the astronauts from the space station.

In such a situation, even if there are serious problems with the International Space Station, our Shenzhou 17 spacecraft cannot be launched to the International Space Station, and can only be rescued by Russia or the United States themselves.

In addition, from a technical perspective, it is also not feasible. Because the interface between the International Space Station and our space station is different, even if our Shenzhou 17 spacecraft is launched to the International Space Station, it cannot dock with the International Space Station. Under such circumstances, we cannot retrieve the astronauts from the International Space Station. Similarly, American and Russian spacecraft cannot dock with our space station.

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