KOROLEV (Moscow Region) (Sputnik) – Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko removed part of micrometeorite protection of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft’s hull and discovered a hole under it, a Sputnik correspondent reports from the Russian Mission Control Center (MCC), where the Russian cosmonauts’ spacewalk is broadcast.
Kononenko reported to the MCC that he found a hole.
“Yes, we also observe it [the hole],” an MCC officer, who is communicating with the astronauts, responded.
First, Kononenko removed part of the screen-vacuum thermal insulation, which covered the meteorite protection. After that, he cut the protective with snips and unbent it. Then he cut off the bent part (a piece about eight by eight inches) and put it into a container.
The cosmonauts added they saw yellow-black formations around the hole in the spacecraft.
“Some kind of double-flowering yellow. And black ones,” Kononenko said, answering what he saw around the hole, and was there any fabric there.
During the sealing of the hole in August, the cosmonauts placed a cloth saturated with a sealer on it.
Now Kononenko has to take two swipe samples from the hole area and then apply a patch piece and secure it with clips.
It is also planned to take photo and video of the hole area.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
