Cosmonauts seal leak on ISS after years
For years, breathable air had been escaping into space through a leak in the Russian section of the ISS. NASA has confirmed that the damage has been repaired.
(Image: NASA)
The International Space Station (ISS) is no longer losing breathable air. The leak in the Russian section of the station has been repaired. This has been confirmed by the US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The damage was located in the PrK module – which is the tunnel connecting the Russian Swesda module to the airlock where Russian Progress spacecraft dock. Air was escaping through small cracks in the module. For years, various cosmonauts on the space station worked to find the spot and solve the problem.
According to Ars Technica, this has now been achieved. Initially, two sources had reported to the US online magazine that the damage had been repaired. NASA has since confirmed this.
NASA and Roscosmos continue to monitor
"Following additional inspections and sealing measures, pressure in the transfer tunnel connected to the International Space Station's Swesda service module, known as PrK, remains stable," NASA spokesperson Josh Finch told Ars Technica. "NASA and Roscosmos continue to monitor and investigate the previously identified cracks for any potential future changes."
The leak had been known since September 2019, but its cause was not. It was possibly material fatigue: at that time, the ISS was already significantly older than its originally planned mission duration of 15 years.
Over time, the problem worsened. There were further leaks, and the loss of breathable air increased over time: initially, less than a pound escaped per day, then just under a kilogram, and in April 2024, it was around one and a half kilograms. Practically, the leak was located behind an airlock. The ISS crews managed by keeping it closed, so air could only escape when work was being done behind the airlock.
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NASA and its Russian counterpart Roscosmos disagreed on their assessment of the situation. The Russians downplayed the problem and considered the station's operation to be safe. However, NASA did not believe these explanations and classified the leak as a major safety risk in 2024.
(wpl)
