(NewsNation) — A long-running leak has been identified as the top safety risk on the International Space Station, according to a recent NASA audit, potentially impacting plans to keep astronauts on board until 2030.
The air leak has been ongoing for five years and is located in the Russian segment of the ISS in the Zvezda Service Module’s transfer tunnel.
NASA stressed there is no immediate threat to the astronauts currently on board, though they are staying on the U.S. side of the station to be near evacuation vehicles in the event of an emergency.
NASA’s Office of the Inspector General said in a September report the ISS needs several measures taken to keep operations going through 2030, when the station is currently expected to be retired.
The agency said it is working with Russian partner Roscosmos to attempt to find the root cause of the leak and to take actions to minimize risk.
The ISS requires ongoing maintenance and repairs due to its age while facing the additional challenge of tending to a vessel that is located in space and can be at risk from disruptions ranging from supply chain problems to micrometeoroid strikes.
Roscosmos has said the hatch to the service module can be closed if the leak becomes too severe. However, the OIG report notes that NASA and Roscosmos have not come to an agreement on the point at which the leak becomes an untenable threat, and there could be additional complications from closing Zvezda.
Those include the loss of a docking port, which could impact cargo delivery, and the need for additional propellant to maintain the station’s position.
NASA does have evacuation plans in place should the astronauts aboard the ISS be in danger, whether that comes from an air leak or any other threats from space.
In addition to the leak, the OIG found other risks when it comes to keeping the ISS operational until it can be replaced by a NASA-funded commercial space station.
Recommendations included changes to space debris tracking practices and assessing ways to bring crew members to and from the ISS should one of the commercial spacecraft from SpaceX or Boeing fail.
