The International Space Station in orbit.
NASA
Three space explorers orbiting the Earth at the International Space Station have a bit of a mystery at hand through a small but persistent air leak. NASA is in key mode to find the source.
While an air leak in space sounds worrying, NASA does not. “The leak is still within segment specifications and presents no immediate danger to the crew as the space station,” NASA said in a statement on Thursday.
A little air leakage is normal, and this particular leak has been on the radar for a while. “In September 2019, NASA and its international partners saw for the first time indications of a slight increase above the standard air leakage level of the cabin,” the agency said. A further increase in that rate has introduced new measures to drive up the resource so that it can potentially be repaired.
From left are NASA astronaut and Commander Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonauts and Flight Engineers Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner.
NASA
The current crew consists of NASA’s Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos. All three will spend Friday through Monday morning in the service module Zvezda, a Russian segment of the ISS.
Bunking in Zvezda gives the crew a chance to close the station gates so NASA can monitor the air pressure in each section. “The test presents no safety concerns for the crew,” NASA said, and it should help mission inspectors figure out where the small leak is coming from.
Initial results are expected next week.
