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On the Russian part of the International Space Station, cosmonauts are struggling with air supply problems due to a leak. Space travelers would now have to find the leak because oxygen reserves were getting smaller and smaller, the state agency Tass reported after switching between the ISS and the control center in Moscow. It is not clear where exactly the leak is in a transition to the “Zvezda” (star in Russian) module, said an expert on Earth. The problem with air leaks and pressure drop in the module has existed since August.
Time was running out, the problem had to be solved, he said at the flight control center. ISS cosmonaut Sergei Ryschkow said air is escaping from a transition to the “Zvezda” module. It is not yet clear where exactly. The discussion now is about hermetically sealing the affected part of the space station so as not to jeopardize the air supply. However, this will affect work at the ISS, he said.
As early as October, the crew believed they had found the crack in a transitional part of the Zvezda module. The space travelers had used a tea bag for this, which moved weightlessly towards the escape. The opening, about 4.5 centimeters long, was covered. The cause of the leak was unclear. Later it turned out that more air was leaking. Even an open-air mission in space did not bring more clarity in November.
The Russian space agency Roscosmos had always emphasized that there was no immediate danger to the ISS crew. There are always breakdowns on the space station. Recently there have also been problems with the power supply and the toilet system. There are currently seven astronauts at the station about 400 kilometers above earth: two Russians, four Americans and one Japanese.
The ISS has been in space for over 20 years, often referred to as humanity’s outpost. In reality, space travelers should only leave for the ISS until 2024, but there are plans to operate the space station for another six years, that is until 2030. “It is functional and will continue to function for ten years without major objections,” he said. Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the authority, in February this year.
