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Ammonia leak on space station likely "false" alarm: NASA

Xinhua, January 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

The International Space Station may have reported a "false" alarm in the U.S. segment early Wednesday morning that prompted astronauts to take refuge in the Russian section, U.S. space agency NASA said.

The alarm occurred at about 4 a.m. EST (0900 GMT), indicating a possible ammonia leak in the U.S. part of the station, and astronauts were then evacuated to the Russian side.

But it seemed like nothing more than a false alarm.

"No signs of a leak," NASA said on Twitter. "It's starting to look like a false indication, either a faulty sensor or computer relay."

According to the U.S. space agency, the six astronauts aboard the station are now "safe and in good shape."

NASA said it's still assessing the situation. Endi