Space Station Astronauts Brace for Evacuation as NASA Finds Concerning Leaks
Samyarup
Astronauts on the International Space Station have been preparing for evacuation, as NASA and Russia‘s space agency Roscomos have noticed four leaks and around 50 “areas of concern” in a Russian section of the space station.
Knewz.com has learned that the leaks have prompted NASA to advise Roscosmos to seal off the segment of the International Space Station where the cracks have been located.
Astronauts on the International Space Station have been preparing for evacuation, as NASA and Russia’s space agency Roscomos have noticed four leaks and around 50 “areas of concern.” BY: MEGA
NASA has labeled the leaks in the Russian service module a ‘top safety risk,’ and classified the threat level as five (the highest level out of five), according to reports.
Currently, the astronauts aboard the space station have been advised to confine themselves to the American section while opening the hatch to the sealed-off Russian section in case of emergencies.
NASA has said in a statement that the leaks are located in a small module named the Russian Zvezda Service Module Transfer Tunnel.
According to reports, it was installed in 2000 and “is used to house life support equipment and to access a Russian cargo dock.”
NASA has said in a statement that the leaks in the said module have been “covered with a combination of sealant and patches” by the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
NASA has said in a statement that the leaks are located in a small module named the Russian Zvezda Service Module Transfer Tunnel. BY: MEGA
Reports have further mentioned that the leaks in the module have been a concern for astronauts for a while now.
In April, the Office of Inspector General of NASA stated that the space agency “identified an increase in the leak rate to its highest level to date.”
James Free, NASA’s associate administrator, said in a recent statement, “We have conveyed the seriousness of the leaks multiple times, including when I was in Russia earlier this year.”
“We’ve come to a compromise that they close [the hatch to the affected module] in the evening,” Free added.
However, it is worth noting that the exact cause of the leaks, or exactly where the air is leaving the International Space Station, is not yet known.
In April, the Office of Inspector General of NASA stated that the space agency “identified an increase in the leak rate to its highest level to date.” BY: MEGA
While the Russian space agency is studying 50 or so “areas of concern,” they have yet to confirm whether they are the cracks, or leaks, that have led to all the concern.
According to NASA spokesperson Kathryn Hambleton, many of the areas Roscosmos is analyzing could be “benign imperfections that could be typically seen on a surface, like a small scratch.”
“Roscosmos has applied sealant to many of these areas of interest which has further reduced the leak rate. Roscosmos continues to evaluate the areas of concern and apply sealant and patches as warranted,” Hambleton added in her statement.
It has been reported that “both space agencies have narrowed their focus to internal and external welds that may have deteriorated,” per the office of the inspector general.
While NASA still considers the Space Station safe enough for the 11 astronauts currently on board, the space agency is also taking measures to allow them a swift evacuation in the event of an emergency.
The “ongoing leak detection work” prompted NASA to award a $266,000 contract order for Elon Musk’s company SpaceX. BY: MEGA
The report from the Office of the Inspector General of NASA stated:
“The Service Module Transfer Tunnel leak is not an immediate risk to the structural integrity of the Station, and there are no current concerns of long-term impacts to the overall structure.”
The “ongoing leak detection work” prompted NASA to award a $266,000 contract order for Elon Musk’s company SpaceX “to come up with a contingency plan to evacuate American astronauts who have been assigned to fly on Russian spacecraft,” according to reports.
It has been pointed out that the International Space Station has been in orbit 10 years longer than it was planned for and that the NASA inspector general identified 588 replacement parts that were operating beyond their planned operational lifetimes.
Samyarup
Astronauts on the International Space Station have been preparing for evacuation, as NASA and Russia‘s space agency Roscomos have noticed four leaks and around 50 “areas of concern” in a Russian section of the space station.
Knewz.com has learned that the leaks have prompted NASA to advise Roscosmos to seal off the segment of the International Space Station where the cracks have been located.
Astronauts on the International Space Station have been preparing for evacuation, as NASA and Russia’s space agency Roscomos have noticed four leaks and around 50 “areas of concern.” BY: MEGA
NASA has labeled the leaks in the Russian service module a ‘top safety risk,’ and classified the threat level as five (the highest level out of five), according to reports.
Currently, the astronauts aboard the space station have been advised to confine themselves to the American section while opening the hatch to the sealed-off Russian section in case of emergencies.
NASA has said in a statement that the leaks are located in a small module named the Russian Zvezda Service Module Transfer Tunnel.
According to reports, it was installed in 2000 and “is used to house life support equipment and to access a Russian cargo dock.”
NASA has said in a statement that the leaks in the said module have been “covered with a combination of sealant and patches” by the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
NASA has said in a statement that the leaks are located in a small module named the Russian Zvezda Service Module Transfer Tunnel. BY: MEGA
Reports have further mentioned that the leaks in the module have been a concern for astronauts for a while now.
In April, the Office of Inspector General of NASA stated that the space agency “identified an increase in the leak rate to its highest level to date.”
James Free, NASA’s associate administrator, said in a recent statement, “We have conveyed the seriousness of the leaks multiple times, including when I was in Russia earlier this year.”
“We’ve come to a compromise that they close [the hatch to the affected module] in the evening,” Free added.
However, it is worth noting that the exact cause of the leaks, or exactly where the air is leaving the International Space Station, is not yet known.
In April, the Office of Inspector General of NASA stated that the space agency “identified an increase in the leak rate to its highest level to date.” BY: MEGA
While the Russian space agency is studying 50 or so “areas of concern,” they have yet to confirm whether they are the cracks, or leaks, that have led to all the concern.
According to NASA spokesperson Kathryn Hambleton, many of the areas Roscosmos is analyzing could be “benign imperfections that could be typically seen on a surface, like a small scratch.”
“Roscosmos has applied sealant to many of these areas of interest which has further reduced the leak rate. Roscosmos continues to evaluate the areas of concern and apply sealant and patches as warranted,” Hambleton added in her statement.
It has been reported that “both space agencies have narrowed their focus to internal and external welds that may have deteriorated,” per the office of the inspector general.
While NASA still considers the Space Station safe enough for the 11 astronauts currently on board, the space agency is also taking measures to allow them a swift evacuation in the event of an emergency.
The “ongoing leak detection work” prompted NASA to award a $266,000 contract order for Elon Musk’s company SpaceX. BY: MEGA
The report from the Office of the Inspector General of NASA stated:
“The Service Module Transfer Tunnel leak is not an immediate risk to the structural integrity of the Station, and there are no current concerns of long-term impacts to the overall structure.”
The “ongoing leak detection work” prompted NASA to award a $266,000 contract order for Elon Musk’s company SpaceX “to come up with a contingency plan to evacuate American astronauts who have been assigned to fly on Russian spacecraft,” according to reports.
It has been pointed out that the International Space Station has been in orbit 10 years longer than it was planned for and that the NASA inspector general identified 588 replacement parts that were operating beyond their planned operational lifetimes.
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Summary
International Space Station astronauts are preparing for potential evacuation due to leaks and areas of concern in a Russian section, as reported by NASA and Roscomos. The leaks in the Russian Zvezda Service Module Transfer Tunnel have been classified as a top safety risk with threat level 5