Oily, honeycombed slime discovered outside space station

A two man team of a Russian and an American astronaut recently completed a spacewalk that involved the installation of a new robotic arm. One of the things they discovered was an oily sludge with a honeycomb structure that was covering one of the station's vents. I assume that this is just a leak from the station's non-pressurized machinery, but the honeycomb structure makes me wonder if this is some sort of exotic lifeform:
www.startribune.com...

"During their 225-mile-high excursion, the spacewalkers also inspected the station's vents and found a large patch of dark, oily residue and a white, honeycombed substance. It was not immediately known what the substances were."

I know that there are probably less 'romantic' explanations for what this could be, but when I hear the words 'honeycomb' and 'oily' I automatically thing of some sort of organic process. Then again, it could just be that natural chemical reactions caused whatever this is to form into honeycombs in the same way that purely inorganic processes cause crystal formation.


[edit on 28-1-2005 by onlyinmydreams]

[edit on 28-1-2005 by onlyinmydreams]

I can't say I've heard about this anywhere but the honeycomb structure does intrigue me. The honeycomb being a very strong and robust form raises the proverbial brow as to what its doing on the outside of the ISS.

OIMD...yeah, I had mentioned it here.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I agree, the "oily" and "honeycomb" combined gives a very mysterious description! I hope this issue is NOT dead to the public. I want to hear more!

[edit on 1-28-2005 by Valhall]

Can anybody find a picture of this honeycombed formation?

We won't solve this one without a little more data.

During their 225-mile-high excursion, the spacewalkers also inspected the station's vents and found a large patch of dark, oily residue and a white, honeycombed substance. It was not immediately known what the substances were.

Intersting. Even if its a contaminant from earth, it'd demonstrate that living things can survive in the space vaccum and hard radiation. But without a food source of some sort?

If it turns out to be living, what do you think the chances are that it's something from earth that hitched a ride up with us? I think this is most likely if it's living. Any chemistry experts out there have any ideas about chemical (inorganic) explinations?

Originally posted by Nygdan
Intersting. Even if its a contaminant from earth, it'd demonstrate that living things can survive in the space vaccum and hard radiation. But without a food source of some sort?

It didnt say it was alive did it?

Originally posted by Valhall
OIMD...yeah, I had mentioned it here.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I agree, the "oily" and "honeycomb" combined gives a very mysterious description! I hope this issue is NOT dead to the public. I want to hear more!

[edit on 1-28-2005 by Valhall]

sorry, I must have missed the last updates to that thread. I didn't mean to double-post. Still, I think that this is so weird that it deserves its own thread, as casual browsers might not associate the 'slime' with the space walk and so would miss the story about the slime if they weren't interested in the walk. The mods, as always, should feel free to scrap this thread if they think it doubles the previous space walk thread.



[edit on 28-1-2005 by onlyinmydreams]

I'm going to take a jab at this, i'll hypothosize that formation of the honeycombed oddity was created by a leaking lubricant coupled with the vacuum effect of space.

Just a guess though

[edit on 28-1-2005 by syntaxer]

ooops,
Val, it looks like your thread is almost all about the spaze ooze. sorry for what is clearly a double post.

Seems the most likely explanation. I certainly hope they test it tho.

amuk
It didnt say it was alive did it?

On, no, certainly not. I meant if it was actually alive, but from earth. Nothing indicates its alive so far.

I wonder what they did with it. Imagine the implications if it was alive. It wouldn't matter whether it was originated from earth or not. The fact that it was alive in the vacuum of space exposed to high levels of radiation like stated above would mean life most definitely exists off of this planet.

Interesting. I wonder if they plan on testing the substance, and if so where they would do this. If per chance it is not of earth, then there is a risk of bringing back a contaminant of deadly proportions whether via sample or simply by contact.

The specimen could most likely be captured and sealed I would think during a spacewalk without too much hazard to the crew. In addition, if the JEM is in place (and I'm very embarrassed to say I don't know if it is or not! )...it has a space experiment balcony where experiments can be done external to the lab.

Now, the things to consider are: I would think the substance is NOT a "frozen" structure, since the station rotates from sunlight to darkness and fairly intense temperature extremes for each orbit. Also, I don't think it's necessary to get all apocalyptic about this. It could be some kind of precipitate from the exhaust of the oxygen generator, it could be a combination of one condensate with some kind of oil leak, and the two may not mix well (thereby creating the honeycomb effect from the oil "percolating out" of the other substance). But I don't think we need to get all Andromeda syndrome about this...yet! LOL.

I just want to see a picture!

p.s. OIMD...no worries on the dual threads. I was hoping to get some feedback from you on this, because it is so stinking interesting!

[edit on 1-28-2005 by Valhall]

Originally posted by Valhall
Now, the things to consider are: I would think the substance is NOT a "frozen" structure, since the station rotates from sunlight to darkness and fairly intense temperature extremes for each orbit. Also, I don't think it's necessary to get all apocalyptic about this. It could be some kind of precipitate from the exhaust of the oxygen generator, it could be a combination of one condensate with some kind of oil leak, and the two may not mix well (thereby creating the honeycomb effect from the oil "percolating out" of the other substance). But I don't think we need to get all Andromeda syndrome about this...yet! LOL.

Thank you for the info, and I had a chuckle over "apocalyptic." Nonetheless, I understand that there was concern by those sending the probes to Mars' surface about being careful not to contaminate the planet with anything earthly for a number of reasons including effecting any changes on the planet by introducing something foreign. Conversely then, I would think the same applies, and so there really is nothing apocalyptic about thinking foreign microbes could be deadly as aids is deadly it is not apocalyptic.

wow thats incredibly interesting

chances are its probably just a fluid leak or some other type of corrosion

there is however a Small small small .0001% chance that this could very well be an organic substance; but i doubt it

it would be really sweet tho if it Was organic
from earth or extraterrestrial
either way it would be amazing discovery for science

Great Find