--- title: "Smoke Alarms Go Off, Fire Reported in Russian Segment of Space Station" description: "Both the fire and smoke alarms were triggered early Thursday morning on board the Russian Zvezda module of the International Space Station." date: "2021-09-09" modified: "2021-09-09" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/smoke-fire-international-space-station" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "international space station" - "iss" - "NASA" - "rocsosmos" - "Russia" --- # Smoke Alarms Go Off, Fire Reported in Russian Segment of Space Station ![Both the fire and smoke alarms were triggered early Thursday morning on board the Russian Zvezda module of the International Space Station.]() *\Image: NASA/Futurism\* Both the fire and smoke alarms were triggered early Thursday morning on board the Russian Zvezda module of the International Space Station, according to [a report]() by Russian state-owned news agency *RIA*. The crew reportedly noticed smoke and the smell of burnt plastic — a terrifying prospect for anybody trapped inside a tiny outpost in the vastness of space. It's especially worrying considering that materials can [combust at lower temperatures]() in microgravity, according to NASA research. According to *RIA*, European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet and cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky first noticed an odor wafting in from the Russian segment around 5 am Moscow time (10 pm Eastern) — and we still don't know what caused it. Pesquet, however, [has yet to note the incident]() on his relatively active Twitter account. Fortunately, [according to an update by Roscosmos](), situation was contained, with air filters activated and crew being able to get back to bed last night. "All systems operate normally, the composition of the air on board the station corresponds to the standard parameters," the Roscosmos statement reads, [as translated]() by *CBS News* reporter William Harwood. The incident didn't even end up postponing a space walk scheduled for today, the agency claimed. It's a serious incident that's bound to raise eyebrows — especially considering Russia's [recently announced plans]() to abandon the station by 2025. Russia's state news has also increasingly discussed the worrying state of the aging orbital outpost. Just last week, Vladimir Solovyov, the chief engineer of the Russian space company Energia, warned that portions of the ISS [may be beyond repair](). "Literally a day after the \[in-flight\] systems are fully exhausted, irreparable failures may begin," Solovyov told Russian state media at the time, [according to the *BBC*](). It's still too early to draw any conclusions, but the timing of Solovyov's comments certainly are at the least intriguing. We have yet to find the exact cause of the smoke, but if recent events are anything to go by, coming to a conclusion may take some time. Russian authorities noted the existence of [several cracks and air leaks]() causing air to slowly vent into open space — but both Roscosmos and NASA have maintained that crews were never in any danger. "Superficial fissures have been found in some places on the Zarya module," Solovyov told state-owned news agency RIA late last month, as [quoted by *Reuters*](). "This is bad and suggests that the fissures will begin to spread over time." Russia certainly seems to be ready to look beyond the ISS. On the one hand, there is a real chance that the outpost is starting to show its age. On the other, Russia's state news [seems rather keen]() to paint the ISS as a foregone conclusion that isn't worth saving. The country has its own plans to [establish an entirely separate space station]() in the upcoming years. All the while, NASA is still trying to come to an agreement with its international partners as to [how to dispose of the station]() when its days are numbered within the next ten years. Incidents like this certainly appear to show up more frequently as the ISS enters its [22nd year]() of continuous operations. What the future will hold for the outpost is anything but certain. All we can do is hope that its crews will never be in any serious danger. **READ MORE:** [Smoke and fire alarms go off on International Space Station]() \[*The Guardian*\] **More on the ISS:** *[Picky Astronauts Refuse to Put Pineapple on Space Pizza]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()