Space Crew Unboxes Stinky Russian Supply Ship, No Harm Done

Opening a package from outer space, only to find it smells like something went wrong. That's what happened to the astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) when they unpacked the Progress 90 cargo ship from Russia. The ship brought tons of supplies, but it also had a nasty odor and strange floating droplets. The astronauts quickly closed the hatch to keep the smell out. NASA, the U. S. space agency, thinks the stink was caused by materials inside the ship releasing gases. This is called outgassing. They turned on special equipment to clean the air and made sure the space station's air quality was safe. Cosmonaut Ivan Vagner also cleaned the ventilation system and took photos to check for any problems. After a while, the smell went away, and the astronauts could unpack the supplies. The Progress 90 will stay attached to the ISS for six months. When it's time to go, it will carry trash from the space station and burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Meanwhile, the previous supply ship, Progress 89, helped move the ISS away from a broken satellite piece. This kind of move is happening more often these days. The ISS has been home to astronauts for over 20 years, but it will retire in 2030. Most of it will burn up in Earth's atmosphere, and the remaining parts will land in the Pacific Ocean.