NASA raised safety concerns regarding a plan by Russian cosmonauts to use a saw to access a suspected air leak in the International Space Station’s (ISS) Zvezda module, leading to a temporary pause in the repair efforts.
Crew Shelters Amidst Repair Debate
On Friday, June 5, five crew members were directed to shelter in the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the ISS. The astronauts involved included NASA’s Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, and Chris Williams, along with the European Space Agency’s Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. Inside the station, Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev were preparing to execute the repair strategy.
The proposed Russian plan involved cutting a bracket to gain better access to an area in the Zvezda module’s transfer tunnel that may have been contributing to a persistent air leak. NASA stated that this approach “could have resulted in elevated risk to the structure in the area.” Following NASA’s expressed concerns, the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, put its plan on hold to gather more data and conduct further inspections.
Persistent Leak Problem
The air leak on the ISS was first reported by Roscosmos in September 2019, originating from the vestibule (PrK) connecting a docking port to the Zvezda module. Over nearly seven years, the leak has persisted and intensified. Last week, Roscosmos identified new suspected leak areas within PrK and reported an increase in the leak rate from approximately one pound of air per day to two pounds.
NASA reversed its safe-haven orders for the crew about two hours after Roscosmos paused its aggressive repair strategy. The Russian space agency indicated it would conduct additional measurements and data assessments, including inspections of suspected areas and a review of previously sealed locations, before proceeding. NASA stated it “strongly supported that decision.”
Disagreement on Strategy
Although one of two suspected cracks on the service module was reportedly sealed, the overall air leak remains an ongoing issue. A 2024 report by NASA’s Office of Inspector General highlighted a broader disagreement between NASA and Roscosmos on how to manage the leak, including when it should be considered unsustainable.
Roscosmos has maintained that the air leak does not pose a threat to the crew’s safety. However, the agencies may eventually need to permanently seal off the hatch to the service module to minimize air loss and isolate the leak. Further repair attempts are anticipated, with hopes that they will not involve drastic measures to modify the station’s structure.
Mitchell Landsberg is the senior reporter for News Raise and focuses on Technology. Mitchell regularly writes about social media platforms and how influencers, industry and general people use them to communicate and make money.
