Orbit incident: After a Russian spacecraft docked with the ISS, an unpleasant odor was detected on board.

On Saturday, November 23, the Russian cargo spacecraft "Progress MS-29" docked with the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft delivered approximately 3 tons of food, fuel, and supplies to orbit. When the Russian astronauts opened the hatch of the cargo ship, they were met with an unpleasant surprise: a toxic odor, reports Ars Technica.

The cargo spacecraft "Progress MS-29" docked with the Russian module "Poisk" on the ISS. According to a statement from NASA, released on Sunday, November 24, when the Russian astronauts opened the hatch of the ship, they noticed an unexpected smell and saw small droplets. Following this, a decision was made to close the hatch of the "Poisk" module, which separated it from the rest of the space station.

NASA reported that an air quality analysis was conducted using sensors to detect contamination after the unusual smell was detected. NASA dispatchers stated that the air quality inside the ISS is at a normal level.

The publication notes that NASA may be downplaying the seriousness of this incident. According to a statement from Anatoly Zak, who writes about space on the independent website Russian Space Web, the smell detected by the astronauts on the ISS was indeed toxic. As a result, the Russian astronauts promptly closed the hatch of the "Progress MS-29" cargo ship.

According to Zak, after discovering the unpleasant odor, the Russian astronauts donned protective gear and activated an additional air purification system in the Russian segment of the ISS. Meanwhile, NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who was in the American segment of the ISS, reported that he detected a smell reminiscent of paint fumes in the air.

NASA stated on Sunday that there is no threat to the ISS crew, and the astronauts are working on opening the hatch between the "Poisk" module and the cargo spacecraft. All other operations on the ISS are proceeding as normal.

The "Poisk" module has been connected to the Russian module "Zvezda" since 2009 and serves as a small structure used for docking spacecraft and conducting spacewalks in the Russian section of the ISS.

It is not exactly known what caused the unpleasant odor emanating from the "Progress MS-29" spacecraft, but it is likely that there was a leak from the ship's cooling system. Such leaks have occurred previously with Russian spacecraft.