Space Officials Say Odd Noise On Space Station Wasn’t A Collision

When something goes “CRUNCH” 240 miles above the Earth, you tend to notice.

American astronaut Michael Foale, mission commander aboard the International Space Station, says something definitely went bump in the night Wednesday. Mission Control, Foale and his Russian counterpart, Alexander Kaleri, took a look, but have so far found no evidence that anything hit the station.

"A noise was heard, similar to the sound of a tin being crushed. It lasted about one second," Sergei Gorbunov, spokesman for Russia's space authority Rosaviakosmos, told NTV television. "Using external cameras the crew checked the paneling of the segment -- no damage was found. The noise was most likely linked to some kind of device inside the station. Using external cameras the crew checked the paneling of the segment -- no damage was found. The noise was most likely linked to some kind of device inside the station."

Okay, it wasn’t a collision. So, what was it?

Russian officials say it was probably some piece of equipment in the back of the crew module, near the toilet. NASA, however, has been worried about deterioration of conditions aboard the ISS, given that the US space shuttle fleet is grounded and will remain so for about another year.

FMI: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station