Officials from Russia’s space program have confirmed that there is still an air leak in the Russian section of the International Space Station, but they have stated that it does not pose a threat to the crew.

The state corporation Roscosmos reported that experts were overseeing the leak and the team routinely addresses potential areas of leakage for identification and repair.

According to a statement reported by Russian news agencies, there is no danger to the crew or the station.

The statement from Roscosmos came after remarks from Joel Montalbano, NASA’s manager for the space station project, who mentioned on Wednesday that the leak in the Russian section has grown slightly, but clarified that it is still minor and does not pose a danger to the crew’s well-being or the functioning of the vehicle.

According to Roscosmos, as the space outpost grows older, the crew must devote additional time to its repair and upkeep.

In August 2020, officials from Russia’s space program initially announced a leak in the Zvezda module. Later that year, Russian crew members identified and attempted to repair what they thought was causing the leak. Subsequently, in November 2021, a potential leak was discovered in a separate area of the Russian section of the station.

Roscosmos and NASA have stated that the leak did not pose a threat to the crew and did not affect any operations on the station.

Additionally, there have been other malfunctions.

During the month of October, there was a coolant leak from a backup radiator located outside of Russia’s new science laboratory, Nauka. However, the main thermal control system was functioning properly and officials from the space agency stated that the crew and the space station were not in any immediate danger.

The problem occurred after coolant leaks were detected from Russian spacecraft docked to the station.

In December 2022, a substance used for cooling leaked from a Soyuz crew capsule that was attached to the station. Then, in February 2023, a similar leak was found from a Progress supply ship. After investigation by Russian officials, it was determined that these leaks were likely caused by small meteoroids hitting the spacecraft rather than errors in production.

The orbital outpost has been a representation of international collaboration after the Cold War, but it is now one of the few remaining areas where Russia and the Western nations cooperate amidst the tensions caused by Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine. NASA and its collaborators aspire to maintain the functioning of the space station until 2030.

Currently, the team on board the station includes NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara, European Space Agency member Andreas Mogensen, Russian cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub, and Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa.

Source: wral.com