Instruments were sent to the ISS to find and eliminate leaks

The Progress MS-31 space transport cargo ship, which launched on July 3, will deliver equipment to the ISS, among other things, that will help identify microcracks in the skin, localize them and eliminate leaks.

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"The Orbita-MG program is of great practical importance. It is aimed at creating a complex of non—destructive technologies to control the tightness of the shells of the modules of the orbital station," Pavel Gaiduk, deputy head of the scientific and exposition department of the Museum of Cosmonautics, told Izvestia.

According to him, the problem is that during the life of spacecraft, microcracks form in their skin sooner or later, through which air leaks occur. They also appeared on the ISS. They are eliminated, but they reappear.

Therefore, as part of the experiment, a hardware complex will be delivered to the station, with the help of which leaks can be detected by ultrasonic vibrations that occur when air molecules rub against the edges of a microcrack. Equipment and materials for repairs will also be brought to the ISS.

So, the scientist explained, using the Orbita-MG experiment, they "kill two birds with one stone": they test scientific instruments in space conditions and, at the same time, eliminate leaks.

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

Progress has started: equipment has been sent to the ISS to solve problems with holes in the skin