The Independent View: ISS Astronauts Brace for Evacuation as NASA Finds Concerning Leaks

Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have been preparing for Evacuation, as NASA and Russia‘s Space Agency Roscomos have noticed Four Leaks and around 50 “areas of concern” in a Russian Section of the ISS.

The Leaks have prompted NASA to advise Roscosmos to Seal-Off the Segment of the ISS where the Cracks have been located.

NASA has labeled the Leaks in the Russian Service Module a ‘Top Safety Risk,’ and Classified the Threat Level as Five. the Highest Level out of Five, according to Reports.

Currently, the Astronauts have been Advised to confine themselves to the American Section, while Opening the Hatch to the Sealed-Off Russian Section in case of Emergencies.

NASA said that the Leaks are located in a Small Module named the Russian Zvezda Service Module Transfer Tunnel. It was Installed in 2000 and “is used to house life support equipment and to access a Russian cargo dock.”

NASA said that the Leaks in the Module have been “covered with a combination of sealant and patches” by the Russian Roscosmos.

In April, the Office of Inspector General of NASA stated that the Space Agency “identified an increase in the leak rate to its highest level to date.” James Free, NASA’s Associate Administrator, said: “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 [the hatch to the affected module] in the evening,” Free added.

However, the Exact cause of the Leaks, or exactly where the Air is leaving the ISS, is Not yet known.

According to NASA Spokesperson Kathryn Hambleton, many of the areas Roscosmos is Aanalyzing could be “benign imperfections that could be typically seen on a surface, like a small scratch.”

“Roscosmos has applied sealant to many of these areas of interest which has further reduced the leak rate. Roscosmos continues to evaluate the areas of concern and apply sealant and patches as warranted,” Hambleton added in Her Statement.

It has been Reported that “both space agencies have narrowed their focus to internal and external welds that may have deteriorated,” per the Office of the Inspector General. While NASA still considers the ISS safe enough for the 11 Astronauts currently on board, the Space Agency is also taking measures to allow them a Swift Evacuation in the Event of an Major Emergency.

The “ongoing leak detection work” prompted NASA to award a $266,000 Contract Order for Elon Musk’s company SpaceX. The Report from the Office of the Inspector General of NASA stated:

It has been pointed out that the ISS has been in Orbit 10 years longer than it was Planned for, and that the NASA Inspector General identified 588 Replacement parts that were Operating beyond their Planned Operational Lifetimes.