NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station are preparing for a possible evacuation as they face a worsening air leak problem.
The US space agency and its Russian counterpart, Roscomos, are tracking 50 'areas of concern' related to a growing leak aboard the station.
In a recent report from NASA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the cracks in a Russian service module have reached a 'top safety risk,' marking it a five-out-of-five threat level.
Astronauts have been advised to stay in the American section whenever the Russian module opens.
Advert
Although officials have been aware of the issue since 2019, the exact source of the leak is still unknown.
All potential cracks have been temporarily fixed with 'a combination of sealant and patches' but NASA warned that the leak reached its highest rate yet in April this year. NASA spoke in a press conference in February that the leak was losing 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) of air every day.
If the leaks get worse, astronauts can close off the tunnel completely. However, this would mean losing a valuable docking port used by Progress and Soyuz spacecraft.
As a result, NASA and Roscosmos have agreed to open the hatch only when necessary and keep it sealed during the evenings.
The air leak is reportedly coming from the Russian Zvezda Service Module Transfer Tunnel which is used to keep life support equipment and connect a Russian cargo dock.
Back in 2019, they noticed a small air leak coming from an unknown crack in the module.
However, despite efforts to seal the module, the amount of air escaping has increased dramatically over the last five years.
This has led the space agency to escalate the threat rating to the highest level and consider a possible evacuation.
Speaking to the Washington Post, NASA associate administrator Jim Free says: "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 it in the evening."
In case of an emergency, NASA astronauts have been instructed to stay near their escape vehicles whenever the hatch is opened for essential use.
In July, NASA even paid SpaceX $266,000 for a backup plan for American astronauts, originally set to return on Russian crafts, should an evacuation be necessary.
The space agency also has a plan with Elon Musk's company to dispose of the ISS when the time comes as the station is due to be retired at the end of the decade.
While NASA says the leak poses no immediate risk to crew safety, it’s a situation both agencies are taking seriously.
The OIG report 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."
NASA and Roscomos are continuing to investigate the leak to try to identify the source.