A spacewalk by two Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station was known as off after the detection of a coolant leak, NASA stated on Thursday.

The Russian area company, Roscosmos, stated {that a} stroll in area by Sergei Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin had been cancelled after one of many warning indicators went off within the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the ISS.

The mission had been deliberate for Wednesday.

NASA stated {that a} coolant leak had been found “from the aft end of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft”, in the direction of the again of the vessel.

“NASA and Roscosmos will continue to work together to determine the next course of action following the ongoing analysis,” the US area company stated.

“The crew members aboard the space station are protected, and weren’t in any hazard through the leak.”

US astronaut Frank Rubio flew to the ISS with the 2 Russian cosmonauts on the Soyuz rocket, which launched on September 21 from Kazakhstan.

Space has been a uncommon avenue of cooperation between Moscow and Washington because the begin of Moscow’s assault on Ukraine in February, and ensuing Western sanctions on Russia that shredded ties between the 2 nations.

The International Space Station was launched in 1998 at a time of hope for US-Russia cooperation following their Space Race competitors through the Cold War.