The coolant leak that shrank their air supply-did they make it out?
From Space Disasters & Daring Missions · 22:22
Show by OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT
An astronaut boards a failing Mir with coolant leaking and jury‑rigged systems-can he keep air flowing long enough to get home?The coolant leak that shrank their air supply-did they make it out?In this episode, we follow Andrew Sydney Withiel Thomas from his childhood cardboard rockets in Adelaide to a long-duration mission aboard Mir. The episode covers the degraded station systems, the decision to go despite known risks, and the unfolding challenges that threaten the crew's air supply.Person: Andrew Sydney Withiel ThomasDate: January-June 1998Location: Mir space stationEvent: 130-day long-duration missionProblem: coolant leaks, electrical fires, collision damage- A photograph in the 1972 university yearbook shows Thomas at 21, described as hiding "his massive intellect behind a screen of silence and hair."- Thomas was born in Adelaide on 18 December 1951 and traced a family history of moving toward the edge of the known world.- After earning a doctorate and U.S. citizenship in December 1986, he was selected as an astronaut candidate in March 1992 and flew his first mission in May 1996.- By the late 1990s Mir suffered chronic failures: coolant leaks, electrical fires, and a collision that punched a hole in a module, leading engineers to say the station was "dying."- When Thomas arrived in January 1998, Mir smelled of machine oil, showed condensation patterns, and ran on jury‑rigged workarounds layered over unresolved emergencies.Tired of ads? Listen to this podcast and 200+ more ad-free on OBOMEDIA.Try it free for 7 days, cancel anytime: https://obomedia.com/en/gratis?ref=desc-7317501© 2026 Created by an independent creator of the OBOMEDIA Network. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the property of their respective creator, who is solely responsible for them, and are distributed by the OBOMEDIA Network on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without the creator's prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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