The growing cracks that are leaking air from the space station could become a major problem » TwistedSifter

I mean, as a layperson, I would definitely assume that anything leaking into space is a recipe for disaster.

I mean, we’ve all seen the movies.

However, the fact that the International Space Station has been leaking air for some time has not seemed too concerning to those responsible for its safety and construction – at least not until now.

Now a NASA inspector is issuing a warning, hoping the money people will listen.

A new report from NASA’s inspector general highlights leaks in a tunnel connecting the Russian segment of the International Space Station to a docking port that are of increasing concern.

The worst thing could be that they don’t know what caused it in the first place.

“Persistent cracks and air leaks in the service module transfer tunnel pose a major safety risk. And NASA and Roscosmos are working together to investigate and repair the cracks and leaks, determine the root cause, and monitor the space station for new leaks.”

The leaks were identified back in April and release about 3.7 pounds of atmosphere per day. Two months previously they had spent less than a pound.

“Although the root cause of the leak remains unknown, both agencies have narrowed their focus to internal and external welds.”

Supply chain issues could pose a difficult problem for repairs, and NASA planned to keep the ISS operational until 2030.

NASA has upgraded the solution to the problem to the highest level of concern because if leaks continue, the hatch to the affected tunnel may need to be permanently closed.

“According to NASA, Roscosmos is confident that they can monitor and close the service module hatch before the leak rate reaches unsustainable levels. However, NASA and Roscosmos have not reached agreement on the point at which the leak rate becomes unsustainable.”

The plan was to hire SpaceX to help deorbit the station and crash it into the Pacific Ocean in 2030, but NASA and Russia also couldn’t commit to continuing operations after 2028 some.

They don’t have enough resources at the moment to make other options viable, but it’s clear that something needs to be done.

When the structure and components begin to deteriorate in space, the time to repair is quite short.

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