Soviet-Era Oxygen Production System On ISS Fails Again

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On October 19^th, the Electron oxygen production system on the Russian segment of the ISS has failed again, Russian cosmonauts at the station reported.

Cosmonaut Sergei Ryzhikov transmitted information about the breakdown to the MCC, follows from the negotiations, which are broadcast by NASA.

At the moment, the station crew, having received instructions from the MCC, is trying to eliminate the malfunction.

Earlier, Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin reported problems with the toilet on the Russian segment of the ISS. According to the MCC specialists, a bubble could have formed in the sewage and sanitary device.

On October 15^th, Roskosmos reported about the shutdown of Electron. According to the state corporation, on October 17^th, the functionality of the system was fully restored.

The system is located on the Russian segment of the ISS in the Zvezda module. During the repair of the system, a backup system was in operation in the American segment of the station. As noted in Roskosmos, the situation posed no danger to the crew.

The source of the ISS air leak, which became known on August 20^th, was also located in the transition compartment of the Zvezda module.

The crew discovered a crack in the compartment, after gluing which the rate of pressure drop at the station decreased. To find a place, the crew isolated themselves in the Russian segment.

The general director of the state corporation Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin said on August 24^th that the air leak on the ISS is insignificant and barely perceptible by the instruments. According to him, the cause of the leak may be associated with micrometeorites or module joints on the American segment.

This is becoming an increasing issue, not only in space technology, but other spheres as well.

Many of the solutions that are used and the systems that are still operational are Soviet-era systems, and 30 years after the Soviet Union dissolved, many of them are obsolete, but there’s no replacement due to lack of expertise, or systems that are too expensive.

The specialists who are familiar with how these systems work, can diagnose and repair them are also growing old, or have already passed away.

The Western-style “effective management” of assets and resources appears rather ineffective when most of the equipment works, but has faults that cannot be solved with current level of expertise.

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