The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the leak, while significant, never jeopardized crew safety.

WSJ: Spacewalkers Replace Space Station Pump

The leak was detected after space station crew reported seeing small white flakes floating away from the station, the space agency said.

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As a result, the "signature" of the pressure drop was very garbled, and sources told MSNBC.com that some space engineers argued there was no increased leak at all, but merely pressure changes caused by these other factors.

MSN: Crew finds ��culprit�� in space station leak