ISS Russian Segment Leaks 1 Pound of Air a Day Again After 3 Weeks
Updated
Updated · Ars Technica · May 21
ISS Russian Segment Leaks 1 Pound of Air a Day Again After 3 Weeks
5 articles · Updated · Ars Technica · May 21
NASA said the ISS’s Russian PrK transfer tunnel resumed leaking atmosphere around May 1, with pressure loss running at about 1 pound per day after engineers had declared the area stable in January.
Microscopic structural cracks in the module attached to the Zvezda service module have proved hard to locate and seal despite years of inspections and repeated sealant work by NASA and Roscosmos.
Roscosmos is keeping the tunnel at lower pressure and repressurizing it as needed; NASA said station operations and crew safety are not currently affected.
The renewed leak still sharpens concern over the station’s long-term viability because NASA has internally rated the issue at the highest levels for both likelihood and consequence, including potential catastrophic failure.
Will this leak force an early end to the US-Russia space partnership as Russia plans its own station?
With 'catastrophic failure' an internal risk, is the aging International Space Station truly safe for astronauts?
After years of failed repairs, is the ISS's Russian segment now structurally beyond saving?