“The Russians believe that continued operations are safe but they can’t prove to our satisfaction that they are.”
Take a Leak In September, NASA’s inspector general warned in a report that new cracks and leaks affecting the Russian segment of the aging International Space Station continued to be a “top safety risk.”
[not seeing anything recent] Hole Milk Roscosmos and NASA also disagreed on the possible cause of the ongoing leaks.
“The station is not young,” said NASA astronaut Michael Barratt, who returned to Earth from the station last month, during a briefing last week, as quoted by SpaceNews.
More on the leaks: NASA Says It’s Totally Fine the Space Station is Absolutely Riddled With Cracks and Leaks
“Although they are unable to satisfy us, the Russians maintain that their operations are safe. “.
Take a leak.
New cracks and leaks affecting the Russian portion of the aging International Space Station remained a “top safety risk,” according to a September report from NASA’s inspector general. “..”.
According to SpaceNews, the leaks have been present for years in a module that connects the segment’s docking port to its service module, requiring astronauts to keep the hatch of the module closed for the majority of the time.
Furthermore, Russia’s allies have continued to minimize the gravity of the situation, even though former astronaut and head of NASA’s ISS Advisory Committee Bob Cabana stated in a recent meeting that the leaks are creating the “possibility of a catastrophic failure” (SpaceNews).
“The Russians think that ongoing operations are safe, but they can’t prove that to us, and the US thinks it’s not safe, but we can’t prove to the Russians that that’s the case,” Cabana stated during the meeting.
[not noticing anything new].
Hole Milk.
Regarding the potential reason for the continuous leaks, Roscosmos and NASA also couldn’t agree. Cabana disclosed that Russian engineers have identified “high cyclic fatigue” as a result of micro-vibrations. NASA thinks it’s more complex than that, though, as the material of the module is gradually deteriorating due to mechanical stresses and other aspects.
Last month, other NASA officials told the Washington Post that the leaks aren’t a big deal, despite Cabana’s insistence on the gravity of the situation.
At the time, NASA spokesperson Kathryn Hambleton told WaPo, “It has further decreased the leak rate because Roscosmos has applied sealant to many of these areas of interest.”.
In the meantime, Roscosmos pinpointed a staggering 50 “areas of concern,” as Hambleton explained, highlighting the extent of the problem.
All things considered, whether or not the cause or extent of the leaks is debatable, it’s just another indication that the space station, which has been occupied continuously for just over 24 years, is beginning to show the signs of its age.
At a briefing last week, NASA astronaut Michael Barratt, who returned to Earth from the station last month, stated, “The station is not young,” according to SpaceNews. It has been up there for a long time. We are observing the wear and tear that you would anticipate. “.”.
More about the leaks: NASA claims that everything is fine despite the space station being completely rife with leaks and cracks.
