NASA may have just encountered major new issue after worries of ‘catastrophic failure’ when ISS discovered to be leaking
NASA has given a concerning update about a major issue that has been plaguing the International Space Station.
A segment of the International Space Station (ISS) has been leaking into space for some time, according to NASA, but resolving the issue has proven challenging.
In 2019, the leak has reportedly discovered in a tunnel of the ISS controlled by Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, which connects to a docking port to the module Zvezda.
NASA has said that for years, the ISS has been leaking air and pressure out into space, but more recently reached dangerous new heights, ultimately prompting US officials to determine that it could pose a threat to the crew on board.
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Former NASA astronaut Bob Cabana, who is chair of the agency's ISS Advisory Committee, shared in 2024 that the agency 'has expressed concerns about the structural integrity of the (leaking module) and the possibility of a catastrophic failure'.
Russia, on the other hand, seemingly doesn't share this view and 'does not believe catastrophic disintegration … is realistic', according to Cabana.
A new report from CNN highlighted how what should have been good news in this situation could be giving way to an even bigger problem.
Station operators have realized the steady leak has stopped, seemingly owing to the efforts to seal cracks in the module's exterior wall.
In a June 14 statement, the space agency spoke about the delay to Axiom Mission 4 as they continue to 'work with Roscosmos to understand the most recent repair efforts to seal small leaks'.
It read: "The leaks, located in the aft (back) most segment of the International Space Station's Zvezda service module, have been monitored by flight controllers for the past few years.
"Following the most-recent repair, pressure in the transfer tunnel has been stable. Previously, pressure in this area would have dropped. This could indicate the small leaks have been sealed."
However, NASA engineers are also concerned that the module may not be holding a stable pressure because a new leak may have formed on an interior wall, ultimately causing air from the rest of the orbiting laboratory to rush into the damaged area.
So now, rather than just a small portion of the segment losing air, operators are now concerned that the entire space station could be losing air.
They continued: "By changing pressure in the transfer tunnel and monitoring over time, teams are evaluating the condition of the transfer tunnel and the hatch seal between the space station and the back of Zvezda.
"It is not uncommon for the agency and its international partners to adjust launches around changes in operations aboard the space station. Teams are making progress evaluating the transfer tunnel configuration, resulting in an updated launch opportunity for the private astronaut mission."
In a statement released earlier this week, NASA confirmed that they are working with Roscosmos officials to investigate this potential issue and will lower the pressure in the tunnel to address their concerns while continuing to evaluate the situation.
UNILAD has contacted NASA and Roscosmos for further comment.
Gerrard Kaonga