Russia may send a rescue vessel to the International Space Station after an “unexplained leak” was detected earlier this month spewing particles into space from the orbiting laboratory’s Russian Soyuz crew capsule.

The “massive” external leak of snowflake-like particles was detected on 14 December from the rear section of the Soyuz MS-22 capsule docked to the space station.

Sergei Krikalev, who leads human spaceflight programs at the Russian space agency Roscosmos, told reporters at a press briefing on Thursday that the damage due to the leak was being assessed.

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The leak led to the temperature within the crew section of the capsule rising to 30°C, the Associated Press reported on Monday.

Read more: Independent