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Astronauts had to exit the International Space Station due to an air leak
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NASA ordered them to take shelter in the Crew Dragon spacecraft
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One crack patched, astronauts return to ISS
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The repairs are still not finished
NEW 17.05 – Roskosmos announced that the first crack on the International Space Station has been repaired and sealed. In an announcement carried by the Interfax agency, they announced that they were moving to another crack, where leaks were discovered. They also announced that there is no risk to the ISS crew and systems.
Immediately afterward, NASA announced that repairs had been halted because “more measurements and data” were needed. The astronauts were told they could exit the shelter, according to spokeswoman Bethany Stevens.
“In light of these developments, NASA has directed crew members on board the Dragon spacecraft to terminate safe harbor procedures and return to scheduled operations on the International Space Station. We look forward to working with Roscosmos on a joint approach to resolving the leak,” Stevens said.
Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have been ordered to prepare for a possible evacuation due to an air leak, NASA has announced, and agencies are reporting.
The leak is happening on the Russian side of the station, NASA added. The crew, which consists of two American astronauts, a French astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut, has been told for now to shelter in the Crew Dragon spacecraft attached to the station. Everyone wears spacesuits in case an air leak necessitates an emergency evacuation.
Extensive repair underway
NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens in a statement, it revealed that the air-leaking crack is in the transfer tunnel of the Zvezda service module, and that Roskosmos, the Russian state space research company, has so far repaired it as much as possible.
“Cracks have always been a problem that NASA is following very closely. NASA and Roskosmos are working to determine the cause of the cracks, and Roskosmos is solving the problem with operational mitigation measures and occasional partial repairs,” she explained.
She added that an extensive repair was underway today, which is why all four members of the SpaceX Crew-12 agency and a NASA astronaut were sent to the Crew Dragon spacecraft.
“We continue to work with our Russian counterparts, along with the rest of the international community that supports the space station, to achieve a more permanent solution,” Stevens said.
Continuously inhabited for the last 26 years
The International Space Station is the largest man-made structure in space, with a solar panel wingspan of over 100 meters. It is used to conduct experiments in low gravity conditions, and five space agencies from 15 countries participate in its work.
It has been continuously inhabited since November 2000 and has a crew of seven people who live and work on board, traveling at a speed of eight kilometers per second. During 24 hours, it makes 16 orbits around the Earth.
The living and working space becomes larger than the average house and has six bedrooms, a gym, as well as a window with a 360-degree view. Astronauts and cosmonauts regularly perform spacewalks to build, maintain and upgrade the ISS.
Barnaby Papadopoulos, correspondent Sky Newssays that the eventual evacuation of the astronauts would be an incredibly difficult undertaking.
– This is something that has never happened. What if evacuation is not possible? Astronauts have been staying on the ISS for decades and this is quite unprecedented. The question is whether they can do this repair in the time they need – commented Papadopulos.
