spacetoday.net: Noxious leak triggers ISS alarm

Posted: Mon, Sep 18, 2006, 8:59 PM ET (0059 GMT)
STS-115: ISS after undocking (NASA)

The crew of the International Space Station sounded an alarm Monday morning after initially reporting smoke inside the station, which later turned out to be the leak of a noxious chemical from an oxygen generator. The ISS crew reported smelling smoke inside the Zvezda service module and apparently reported smoke at one point. The source of the odor turned out to be a leak of potassium hydroxide from the station's Elektron oxygen generator, which was shut down. The crew donned gloves and surgical masks to deal with the leak, but did not have to put on gas masks at any point. The odor itself was likely caused by an overheated rubber gasket in the unit. The problem will not affect ISS activities, including Wednesday's docking of a Soyuz spacecraft carrying a replacement crew and commercial passenger.