Risk for astronauts

50 “problem areas” and four cracks on the ISS

The ISS (photo) is to be operated until 2030.

(Bild: ESA/NASA/Thomas Pesquet)

The International Space Station (ISS), which is due to remain in operation until 2030, is getting on in years. This is accompanied by age-related technical problems. A NASA report now warns of 50 "problem areas" and four cracks on the station and a risk for the crew.

For almost a quarter of a century now, astronauts have been living and researching continuously on board humanity's outpost in space. As the ISS ages, the US space agency NASA is faced with the challenge of ensuring the safety of the astronauts on board and maintaining continuous operations.

"Major safety risk" for astronauts
According to a recently published report by NASA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG), there is a "major safety risk" for the astronauts on board in connection with a leak in the Russian segment of the ISS, which has been known since 2019.

What is the Office of Inspector General (OIG)?

The NASA Office of Inspector General conducts reviews, investigations and audits of NASA programs to prevent and detect abuse, waste, fraud and mismanagement.

The cracks had been "covered with a combination of sealants and patches" by Roskosmos - NASA's Russian counterpart - the US space agency said in a statement to the Washington Post, adding that repairs were underway. In the internal risk assessment, however, the leaking areas are the highest risk, with a 5 on a scale up to 5, the OIG said.

Leaks near a hatch
"We communicated the seriousness of the leaks several times, including when I was in Russia earlier this year," Deputy Administrator Jim Free is quoted as saying in an interview with the Washington Post. As the leaks are located near a hatch, Roskosmos has complied with a request from NASA to close the hatch as far as possible, Free said, "We have agreed on a compromise that provides for the hatch to be closed in the evening."

Series of leaks from Russian modules
In recent years, leaks from Russian hardware have repeatedly caused problems on the ISS. One dramatic incident occurred in December 2022, when a Soyuz capsule began rapidly leaking coolant (pictured below) into space ahead of a planned Russian spacewalk, which was then immediately canceled. With few other options available, the Russian space agency Roskosmos sent an empty "Soyuz" capsule to the ISS and returned the leaking spacecraft to Earth empty for analysis.

(Bild: NASA)

In February last year, an ammonia leak occurred on the Russian space freighter "Progress 82" while it was docked at the space station. Seven months later, another leak was discovered, this time in the Russian multi-purpose laboratory module "Nauka".

Space station to operate until 2030
Construction of the ISS in space began in 1998. Japan, Canada, the USA and the participating countries of the European Space Agency (ESA) want to operate the space station until 2030. Russia, an extremely important partner in space, has so far only committed to operating the ISS until 2028, but is open to continuing operations until 2030.