A recent NASA report highlights the ongoing air leaks at the International Space Station (ISS) as a significant safety concern.
The report, published on Sept. 26 by NASA’s Office of Inspector General and signed by Deputy Inspector General George A. Scott, pinpoints the leak to a tunnel connecting the ISS’s Russian segment to a docking port. According to the report, NASA and Russia’s space agency Roscosmos are actively collaborating to address structural issues within the Russian Service Module Transfer Tunnel.
“NASA reports that Roscosmos is confident they will be able to monitor and seal the hatch to the Service Module before the leak rate reaches a critical level,” the report states. “However, NASA and Roscosmos haven’t yet reached an agreement on the point at which the leak rate becomes unsustainable.”
This leak, whose root cause remains unknown, has been an issue since February, when Russia acknowledged its existence. Initially, they claimed it posed no threat to the crew’s safety. However, the recently released report reveals that in April 2024, NASA detected a “significant increase in the leak rate to its highest level yet.”
In May and June, ISS Program and Roscosmos officials held meetings to discuss their growing concerns over the increased leak rate. “As of August 2024, the Service Module Transfer Tunnel leak risk is assessed as a 5 out of 5,” the report notes. This assessment considers both “risk likelihood,” meaning the probability of a potential risk occurring, and “risk impact,” meaning the potential damage that could result if a problem arises. A score of five signifies the “most severe” on the five-point scale.
If the leaks persist, NASA and Roscosmos might be compelled to permanently seal the hatch to the affected tunnel, which would restrict astronauts from utilizing one of the four docking ports for the Russian segment. Currently, the report indicates that they are continuously monitoring the leaks and temporarily sealing the hatch when it is not in use.
The ISS is scheduled to remain operational with NASA only through 2030, after which they intend to partner with SpaceX and in a controlled decommissioning process. In 2023, Russia pledged its commitment to creating the core of by 2030.
NASA’s September Inspector General report provides several recommendations to NASA’s crew, including a reevaluation of orbital debris tracking tools to “guarantee crew safety,” and the documentation of “contingency plans” in case of emergencies and if the air leaks worsen due to damage.
