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https://theconversation.com/cracks-in-the-international-space-station-are-causing-air-leaks-how-much-longer-can-it-remain-habitable-286060>
"On June 5, 2026, Nasa ordered five astronauts aboard the International Space
Station (ISS) to shelter in a docked spacecraft and prepare to abandon ship.
The reason was a longstanding, but worsening, air leak in the Russian part of
the station.
An hour and a half later, the alert was lifted, allowing the crew to resume
their work. But the episode reminds us that humanity’s most expensive science
experiment – and a remarkable symbol of international cooperation – is showing
its age.
The ISS was born from a thaw in relations between Washington and Moscow
immediately following the cold war. In the early 1990s, the countries decided
to merge separate space station projects that each was working on.
The air leak, in an older section of the ISS known as the Zvezda PrK transfer
tunnel, is a dose of engineering reality. It is caused by fine cracks in the
structure of the tunnel, which provides access to a spacecraft docking port.
There is no permanent fix and the cracks have already been patched and
repatched using a sealant.
Nasa and Russia’s space agency Roscosmos dispute the seriousness of the
problem. Roscosmos says the slow leak poses no danger, while the US space
agency views it as an elevated safety risk. Not only is the structure under
strain, but also the fabric of the agreement that keeps the ISS running."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
