The uncrewed Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM), named Nauka, the Russian word for “science,” arrived at the International Space Station’s Poisk module on the space-facing side of the Russian segment at 9:29 a.m. EDT
Nauka was launched eight days ago from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Nauka will serve as a new science facility, docking port, and spacewalk airlock for future operations.
Update: Following the docking of the Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM), named Nauka, to the International Space Station at 9:29 am EDT, Russian cosmonauts aboard the space station conducted leak checks between Nauka and the service module. At 12:45 pm, the flight control team noticed the unplanned firing of MLM thrusters that caused the station to move out of orientation. Ground teams have regained attitude control and the motion of the space station is stable.
The crew was never and is not in any danger, and flight controllers in Mission Control Houston are monitoring the status of the space station.
NASA and Boeing have decided to stand down from Friday’s launch attempt of the agency’s Orbital Flight Test-2 mission. Currently, launch teams are assessing the next available opportunity. The move allows the International Space Station team time to continue working checkouts of the newly arrived Roscosmos’ Nauka module and to ensure the station will be ready for Starliner’s arrival.
