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Concerns Grow Over Aging International Space Station Leaks
U.S. space officials have been hesitant to discuss the dangers of sending astronauts to the aging International Space Station (ISS), parts of which are over 25 years old. However, a recent report reveals that NASA leaders are particularly alarmed about a small Russian segment of the station—essentially a tunnel that connects a larger module to a docking port—that is leaking.
Since September 2019, both Russian and U.S. officials have been aware of the leak in the PrK module, situated between the airlock of a Progress spacecraft and the Zvezda module. A new report from NASA’s inspector general, released on Thursday, sheds light on the situation, providing details that highlight the seriousness of the issue.
Leak Details Uncovered
In February 2024, NASA detected a significant increase in the leak rate, which rose from under 1 pound of atmosphere per day to 2.4 pounds, and by April, it had escalated further to 3.7 pounds daily. Despite extensive investigations, neither Russian nor U.S. teams have pinpointed the cause of the leak.
"The root cause remains unidentified; however, both agencies are concentrating their investigation on the internal and external welds," the report signed by Deputy Inspector General George A. Scott indicates.
To mitigate the risk, NASA plans to keep the hatch on the Zvezda module—leading to the PrK tunnel—closed. If the leak worsens, this hatch may need to be permanently secured, reducing the number of Russian docking ports available on the ISS from four to three.
While NASA has publicly downplayed fears regarding the cracking, asserting it hasn’t affected other sections of the station, reports from June indicated that the leaks have escalated to the highest concern level on the agency’s 5×5 risk matrix. Currently, these leaks are categorized as a "5," indicating both a high likelihood and serious consequences.
At that time, NASA refrained from confirming or commenting on its risk matrix rating. However, this latest report corroborates those concerns.
"In May and June 2024, ISS Program and Roscosmos officials convened to discuss escalating worries regarding the increased leak rate," the inspector general’s report states. "The ISS Program subsequently elevated the risk level associated with the Service Module Transfer Tunnel leak. NASA reports that Roscosmos is confident it can monitor the situation and close the hatch before the leak escalates to an unmanageable degree, though the two agencies have yet to agree on what that threshold constitutes."
The Future of Low Earth Orbit Remains Uncertain
This report emerges as NASA evaluates the ISS’s future. The U.S. space agency and Russia have a mutual agreement to continue station operations until 2028, with NASA aspiring to extend this to 2030. Although NASA hoped to finalize this agreement over a year ago, no formal resolution has been reached.
Once the ISS reaches the end of its operational life, NASA aims to transition its low Earth orbit activities to private space stations and has initiated funding for early development efforts by various companies, including Axiom Space, Northrop Grumman, Blue Origin, and Voyager Space. Northrop Grumman has since withdrawn from the competition, deeming it unprofitable, leading to growing uncertainty regarding the readiness of any private operators by 2030.
Another option for NASA is to extend the ISS’s life beyond 2030, though this would necessitate substantial work to ensure its structural integrity and another agreement with Russia. This partnership, however, has been strained due to geopolitical tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
"Extending the ISS past 2030 will require significant funding to maintain operations, increased acceptance of risks related to aging components, and continued support from NASA’s international partners," the report outlines. “Additionally, NASA may be confronted with a flat or shrinking budget, inflation, and supply chain challenges.”
This information was originally reported by Ars Technica.
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