Astronauts are among the most resourceful people on (or off) the planet. Their isolation means they need to be ready to solve major problems using only the items they have around them – such as tea leaves.
Over a year ago, the International Space Station sprung a leak. It’s normal for the station to lose some air, and this change wasn’t enough to be dangerous, so they didn’t really worry about it. That was until August, when the leak suddenly became much worse.
The astronauts sealed themselves in the Zvezda module (which contains the life support systems) and monitored the pressure in the station’s other rooms. When nothing changed, they realised the leak was somewhere in Zvezda itself.
To find it, Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin released a few loose tea leaves into the air. The crew watched as these floated around, slowly getting pulled towards a crack in the wall. They’ve now sealed the gap with tape, and are waiting for a more permanent fix.
Lachlan Writes Science 