The incident happened after the Progress 90 successfully docked to the ISS Poisk module on Saturday but when Roscosmos cosmonauts opened its hatch, the mysterious smell shot through, according to NASA.
“After opening the Progress spacecraft’s hatch, the Roscosmos cosmonauts noticed an unexpected odor and observed small droplets, prompting the crew to close the Poisk hatch to the rest of the Russian segment,” NASA said in an update.
Upon noticing the odour, the crew swiftly closed the hatch to isolate the affected area from the rest of the Russian segment.
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The crew on the space station described the odour as “toxic” and immediately shuttered its hatch to avoid potential contamination and spread, according to communications between mission control in Houston and the onboard crew and reviewed by Russian Space Web.
Both Nasa and Roscosmos activated air-scrubbing systems to cleanse the station’s atmosphere. The Trace Contaminant Control Subassembly (TCCS) was deployed in the US segment, while additional purification systems were utilised in the Russian segment.
Space Station air scrubbers were turned on and contaminant sensors monitored the station’s air quality and atmosphere, the ISS said. The air scrubbing was activated onboard the craft by Russian crews geared up in protective equipment.
The sensors revealed that the air quality onboard was at normal levels and there was no imminent danger associated with the gas, the report said.
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The cosmonauts began to open the hatch of Progress — with three tons of food, fuel and supplies inside — on Sunday after it was marked safe. Progress 90 will remain docked at the ISS for roughly six months. After that, ISS crew members will load it up with their trash before releasing it. The craft will then burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere.
Nasa astronaut Don Pettit described the smell as reminiscent of “spray paint,” initially suspecting it might be related to routine ISS operations like urine processing. The source of the odour remains under investigation.
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It is unclear whether it originated from within the Progress spacecraft or from another area such as the vestibule connecting it to the ISS. Despite this uncertainty, Nasa assured that all other space station operations are proceeding as planned. While the incident raised initial alarms, swift action by both Nasa and Roscosmos ensured crew safety and maintained station operations without disruption.