NASA
NASA and Russia still haven't fixed leaks on the ISS
Air leakage in the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) continues. NASA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos, one of the partners in the orbital laboratory program, identified what were described as “50 areas of concern” related to the escape that has occurred since 2019.
The incident was discussed in a NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) report published in September. Both space agencies are analyzing the leak, which is considered one of the biggest risks to astronauts in the orbiting laboratory.
Therefore, NASA officials continue to monitor four cracks and 50 other areas of concern on the ISS. According to them, the cracks have all been covered with a combination of sealant and Roscosmos patches, while repairs continue.
NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free noted that the severity of the leak has been highlighted several times, including when he was in Russia. As the sources of the leaks are close to a hatch, NASA suggested to Roscosmos to close it as much as possible. “We reached an agreement for them to close it at night,” he added.
If there is an emergency and it is necessary to evacuate the astronauts, there are space vehicles available to the ISS crew. On the other hand, NASA has been reinforcing that, despite the risks related to the leak, what happened does not represent an immediate threat to astronauts.
“There is no impact at this time on crew safety or vehicle operations, but it is something everyone should be aware of,” ISS program manager Joel Montalbano said at a briefing in February 2024 as the leak escalated. temporarily to 2.4 pounds per day; the average was 0.2 pounds per day.