A coolant leak was discovered in the Russian International Space Station capsule for the third time in a year

The Russian space agency Roscosmos confirms that the Russian Naoka (Science) module is experiencing problems. “The coolant is leaking from the external radiator,” the organization said on Telegram. This is said to be a backup system, and the temperature on board did not rise as a result of the leak.

US astronauts aboard the International Space Station have been summoned by the control center in Houston for an assessment after “chips” appeared in NASA images. Radio traffic later heard that an astronaut had confirmed the leak, and NASA has not yet responded to the news.

At the end of last year, a Russian Soyuz capsule began leaking coolant. This may be due to a small meteorite shower. The spacecraft returned empty to Earth as a precaution, forcing the astronauts to remain on the International Space Station for months longer than planned while waiting for a replacement capsule. In February, another Russian capsule began leaking coolant.

Space expert Jonathan McDowell told AFP about a “common theme.” “Two systems leaking may be a coincidence, but if coolant leaks three times, something is structurally wrong,” he says. According to McDowell, “Russian space technology is becoming less reliable.”

The International Space Station is one of the rare places where the United States and Russia still work together. There are currently seven people on the International Space Station.