NASA uncovers 50 'areas of concern' including leaks and cracks on the 25-year-old space station.
Posted by Leslie Eastman
Recent reports indicate that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its Russian counterpart Roscosmos are facing serious safety concerns on the International Space Station (ISS), potentially leading to preparations for an emergency evacuation.
NASA's astronauts aboard the International Space Station have been told to prepare for an urgent evacuation amid growing safety concerns.
The US space agency and its Russian counterpart, Roscomos, are tracking 50 'areas of concern' related to a growing leak aboard the station.
NASA is now calling the cracks in a Russian service module a 'top safety risk' - escalating the threat rating to five out of five.
Astronauts have been warned to stay in the American section when the module is open so they can be close to their spacecraft in case of an emergency evacuation.
The most pressing issue is an ongoing air leak in the Zvezda Service Module in the Russian portion of the station, which has been tracked for the past five years.
The leaks' exact cause is not known, nor is it clear exactly where the air is leaving the space station. Both space agencies have narrowed their focus to internal and external welds that may have deteriorated, according to the inspector general.
The U.S. space agency has been working closely with Roscosmos to identify the source of the leaks and ensure crew safety, Free said. Since the last round of patches over the summer, "the leakage rate has gone down," he said.
"We've asked them to minimize how long that hatch is open, and they are minimizing it," Free said. "We've come to a compromise that they close it in the evening."
NASA has determined the station remains safe enough for the 11 people aboard. Still, the agency decided its astronauts need more options in the event that a rapid departure from the space station becomes necessary.
The developments currently indicate the space agencies are preparing for a worst-case scenario, hoping the station lasts until its slated 2030 decommissioning. The US and Russia are having troubles reaching an agreement as to the conditions in which evacuation of the station would be deemed necessary.
NASA and Roscomos are collaborating to monitor the leak and try to identify the source of the issue.
However, the two agencies are yet to agree on when the leak rate would be considered 'untenable'.
In the same OIG report, NASA also raised the concern that the space station could be seriously damaged by tiny pieces of material in orbit - escalating the risk rating to the highest level.
The agency wrote: 'NASA considers the threat of micrometeoroids and orbital debris (MMOD) a top risk to crew safety, the ISS structure, visiting vehicles, and sustained ISS operations.'
Over the past two decades, the ISS has been a hub for groundbreaking scientific research. The microgravity environment has enabled significant advancements in studying diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer, asthma, and heart disease. The unique conditions allow researchers to observe cellular and molecular changes impossible on Earth.
Without the interference of Earth's gravity, Alzheimer's researchers have studied protein clusters that can cause neurodegenerative diseases. Cancer researchers studied the growth of endothelial cells on the space station.
Endothelial cells help supply blood in the body, and tumors need that blood to form. Space station-grown cells grow better than those on Earth and can help test new cancer treatments.
Why do this in space? Studying cells, organoids, and protein clusters without the influence of gravity - or even the forces of container walls - can help researchers get a clearer understanding of their properties, behaviors, and responses to treatments.
The ISS website lists 19 other important research contributions and discoveries made aboard the station. Hopefully, the precautions will not be needed, and all the astronauts and researchers can return home safely and complete their important work.