(NASA)
The ISS began to change its orientation due to the spontaneous operation of the engines of the multifunctional laboratory module Nauka.
For counteraction, the engines of the Zvezda module and then Progress were turned on.
Now the Nauka engines are off, and the orientation of the station has been restored. The reason for the incident is still unclear.
Nauka was a backup for the first module of the ISS Zarya, and then it was decided to make a separate module from it for the Russian segment of the station.
The module went into space on July 21, 2021 and reached the station in 8 days, having experienced malfunctions in the fuel system and the automatic docking system.
On July 29, Nauka successfully docked with the Zvezda module, occupying the node where the Pirs module was previously located.
After docking, cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky and Pyotr Dubrov began preparations for opening the hatches between the Zvezda and Nauka modules.
According to information received from NASA's broadcast, they began to open the Zvezda's inner hatch, but at that moment, the Nauka's engines spontaneously turned on.
The ISS began to rotate erratically.
To counteract this movement and restore a stable orientation of the station, the engines of the Zvezda and then of the cargo ship Progress were turned on.
At present, the engines of Nauka have already been turned off, the station's stable position has been restored, according to a broadcast from the MCC in Houston.
According to Roscosmos, "now specialists are working on transferring" Nauka "from flight mode to mode docked with the ISS”.
It is expected that in the near future all work will be completed and the orientation of the station will be restored. Roscosmos did not report any other details.
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