NASA inspector warns of growing cracks allowing air to escape from space station

“The cause of the leak remains unknown.”

Crack crisis

The space agency is increasingly concerned about leaks in a tunnel connecting the Russian segment of the International Space Station to a docking port, according to a new report from NASA’s inspector general.

Worse, officials still aren’t entirely sure what’s causing it.

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

In April, NASA “detected an increase in leakage to its highest level ever,” releasing 3.7 pounds of atmosphere daily, a massive increase compared to just under 1 pound in February Ars Technica Reports.

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

Fixing the problem could be a difficult problem because of the “supply chain issues” that NASA’s contractors are struggling with, a problem that could make maintaining ISS operations even more difficult before the agency officially decommissions them in 2030 goes into operation.

Close the hatch

In June, NASA upgraded the cracking problem to the highest level of concern in its “risk matrix.” Ars Technica reported at the time.

If the leaks continue, NASA and Roscosmos could be forced to permanently close the hatch to the affected tunnel, which would prevent astronauts from using any of the station’s four docking ports.

“According to NASA, Roscosmos is confident that they will be able to monitor and close the service module hatch before the leak rate reaches an unsustainable level,” the inspector general report said. “However, NASA and Roscosmos have not reached agreement on the point at which the leak rate becomes unsustainable.”

This is an unpleasant realization given the space station’s already limited shelf life. In 2030, NASA plans to get help from SpaceX to deorbit the station and allow it to crash into the Pacific Ocean. As Ars points out that NASA and Russia have not yet agreed to continue operations after 2028.

Another option would be to make changes to the station to extend its lifespan beyond 2030, which the inspector general said would “require significant funding” and “require acceptance of increased risk due to its components and aging structures.”

More about leaks: Russia confirms small but growing leak in space station