A segment of the International Space Station (ISS) controlled by Russia is experiencing a leak, causing pressure and air to escape. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has expressed concerns about the potential for a “catastrophic event” and has initiated investigations and implemented contingency plans.
The air leak phenomenon was first detected on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2019, in a tunnel connecting a Russian module known as Zvezda with a docking port that welcomes cargo spacecraft.
Although the leak has been known for some time and several initial measures have been taken to minimize the incident, the air leak rate from this module has reached its highest level this year.
The Zvezda module on the International Space Station is connected to another module. (Photo: NASA).
NASA stated in a release that the issue has been exacerbated by suspected cracks that are “very small, not visible to the naked eye, and there are nearby supports and pipes, making it difficult to get diagnostic tools into these areas.”
Despite efforts to contain the air leak, according to NASA, the leakage rate still “fluctuates between 2 to 2.5 pounds of air per day.”
Officials monitoring the situation in the U.S. currently regard this as the most urgent issue facing the aging space station, which could threaten crew safety, according to a recent report from NASA’s Office of Inspector General.
The U.S. space agency “has expressed concerns about the structural integrity of the leaking module and the potential for a catastrophic event,” Bob Cabana, former NASA astronaut and chair of NASA’s ISS Advisory Committee, stated during a meeting on the matter.
However, while the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) has directed astronauts to locate and address problematic areas to help reduce the leak rate, the Russian research team “does not believe that a catastrophic event… is likely to happen,” Cabana noted.
“The Russians believe that operations in the connecting tunnel remain safe – but they cannot prove this to our satisfaction,” Cabana added. “And the U.S. believes that it is not safe, but we cannot prove this to Russia’s satisfaction.”
Disagreements continue despite multiple meetings between the two sides on this issue.
Roscosmos astronaut Oleg Novitskiy seen in the Zvezda service module. (Photo: NASA).
NASA has implemented contingency measures to ensure crew safety, but in the long term, NASA is concerned that the air leak incident may pose a threat to crew safety and reduce the lifespan of the Space Station.
In its report, the Office of Inspector General noted: “Although the ISS can operate if the hatches to the affected area are permanently closed, this could impact delivery logistics as there would be fewer docking ports available. Permanently closing the hatches would also require additional propulsion fuel to maintain the Station’s altitude and orientation.”
Currently, the U.S. is urging independent experts from both sides to assess the danger posed by the leak to help both space agencies reach a consensus on the root cause and severity of the issue.
In the meantime, astronauts and crew members aboard the space station are required to take precautions, such as keeping the leak area sealed unless it needs to be opened to unload supplies from a spacecraft to the nearby docking port.
Pallet seat to be used in case of emergency. (Photo: NASA).
In addition to requiring astronauts to close off access to the Russian area when the Zvezda transfer tunnel is open, the U.S. agency is currently installing a “pallet seat” on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
The pallet seat is located in an area of the spacecraft typically used for cargo and is essentially a piece of foam that astronauts can secure themselves to if they need to take the Crew Dragon home in an emergency.
Specifically, the pallet seat is designated for NASA astronauts who hitch a ride on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft to the space station, as they have done for many years under a seat-swap agreement between the U.S. and Russia.
