International Space Station ISS: Leak that has become larger remains a problem
There has been a leak on the ISS for years, most recently it had grown. While the associated risk is high but verifiable, it is unclear what will happen next.
(Image: NASA)
The growing leak on the International Space Station (ISS) has still not been sealed, and NASA has no clear plan on how to deal with it. This is reported by the US magazine Ars Technica, citing internal sources. According to these sources, although the leak in the Russian segment does not pose an existential threat to the space station, it is still at the highest level in the US space agency's internal "risk matrix" in terms of both the probability of occurrence and the consequences. The fact that there are virtually no public statements about this is therefore due to NASA's desire "not to embarrass" its Russian partners.
Drastic words behind the scenes
The leak occurred years ago, but it became noticeably larger at the beginning of the year. Since then, 900 grams of cabin air have been escaping every day. However, because it is located behind an airlock that can be sealed, this only happens when it is open. Although NASA has assured that the problem is "manageable" and within the permissible specifications, work is still underway to close it. However, there has been no progress, writes the US magazine. An anonymous source even speaks of a "wildfire" that those responsible have in their hands, but which they cannot extinguish.
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NASA itself has only told the US magazine that the airlock will remain closed if no cargo needs to be loaded through it. If it is opened, measures will be taken to minimize the risk. At worst, the airlock could remain completely closed and spacecraft could then dock with the ISS elsewhere. Ars Technica also points out that the Russian space agency Roskosmos has even fewer resources at its disposal since Russia's all-out war against Ukraine and can only concentrate on patching up the ISS with the means available. Under these circumstances, it is unlikely that the leak will be found and sealed.
The leak is just one in a growing list of problems with Russian technology on the ISS. A coolant leak occurred there in the fall. During a spacewalk, two cosmonauts found numerous small holes in the affected radiator that looked as if they had been drilled. The leak was the third on a Russian component within a year. First, a spacecraft docked to the ISS, in which the three astronauts had flown to the ISS, was irreparably damaged. For their safety, it was decided to send a replacement spaceship unmanned to the ISS to pick up the astronauts. Then a leak also appeared on the Progress MS-21 cargo spacecraft.
(mho)
