Houston, we have a problem. The ISS is leaking and NASA and Russia have stepped up
The International Space Station has been circling above our heads for years as the largest space laboratory for humans. However, it turns out that the people working there are in serious danger?
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Space can be as fascinating as it is terrifying. Suffice it to think that only the wall of the ship or space station in which they stay protects astronauts from dying in the endless void. But if it starts to break down, it may be too late to save it. The International Space Station has a similar problem.
Houston, we have a problem
The International Space Station is one of the older space facilities we currently use. The module itself, according to “human” calculations, is not that old, because it is about 25 years old (the first modules were connected in space in 1998, and the first crew reported in 2000). But just think about what the technologies looked like back then. And if that wasn’t enough, all this time the object was exposed to the intense effects of space, which undoubtedly had an impact on it. Apparently the pressure was too much. Or someone made a mistake.
This is what there is a bit of a dispute between the American agency NASA and the Russian Roscosomos. It is the segment controlled and prepared by the other side that has a problem with pressure and air escaping. The first disturbing signs appeared already in 2019, but then the problem grew and became more intense, for example at the beginning of 2024, when a record was broken in terms of the size of the leak. The problems concern the tunnel connecting the Russian module called Zvezda with the docking port where ships bringing cargo and supplies go – CNN describes the whole matter.
Who’s right?
According to NASA, this is the biggest problem of the ISS, which may even threaten the safety of the crew. It is true that Roscosmos has already instructed its cosmonauts to search for and deal with troublesome areas, which even resulted in a slight improvement in the situation, but as NASA informed, the Russians believe that the failure will not lead to destruction of the station. Americans, however, are not so sure about this.
The leak is the reason for a new safety procedure on the ISS. Whenever astronauts need to open this segment, they close the hatch separating the Russian part from the American part. In the meantime, however, the search is ongoing for experts who could finally pinpoint the source of this problem and its solution. This is not easy because the cracks leading to this leak can be very small.
The Russians believe that the reason for the leakage is vibrations caused by the mechanical systems. According to NASA, possible problems include the production of materials used in this module. However, according to CNN, both agencies agreed that the segment could require a permanent shutdown if leaks reach “unsustainable” levels. However, how much it would amount to has not yet been determined.
Will a Pole manage to fly to the ISS?
However, the Americans are playing it safe. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft feature an extra seat in a space normally used for cargo storage. However, the astronaut can attach himself there, so that if access to the Russian Soyuz spacecraft is cut off, the Americans will still be able to return together, although some of them came to the ISS on a Russian mission. The ISS mission is planned to run until 2030, but it is possible that emerging problems will ultimately force it to end sooner. It is worth adding that in 2025, a Pole, Sławosz Uznański, is to appear on board the Station.
