Small Break in the Leaks on Russia's Aging Space Station
In a significant development for Russian cosmonauts and NASA officials, a small but persistent leak on the International Space Station has stopped venting atmosphere into space. This comes as welcome news to both parties after years of searching for the source of the problem.
The leak was caused by microscopic cracks inside the PrK module, which lies between a Progress spacecraft airlock and the Zvezda module. The issue had been a long-running concern, with the rate of leakage doubling in 2024, prompting NASA officials to label it as a "high likelihood" and "high consequence" risk.
However, over the past few months, Russian cosmonauts have reportedly found that the leaks seem to be stabilized. According to a space agency spokesman, Josh Finch, following additional inspections and sealing activities, the pressure in the transfer tunnel attached to the Zvezda Service Module is holding steady in a stable configuration. NASA and Roscosmos continue to monitor and investigate the previously observed cracks for any future changes.
The search for the small leaks was like a proverbial needle in a haystack, with cosmonauts periodically closing the hatch leading to the PrK module and searching for tiny accumulations of dust to indicate leak sites. Once identified, they would apply a sealant known as Germetall-1 to the cracks and close the hatch again, only to reopen it and begin the search anew.
The Russian space agency's success in resolving this long-running issue likely does not guarantee an end to new leaks developing in decades-old hardware. The Zvezda module, launched 25 years ago, has experienced cracking issues since its debut. Despite ongoing investigations, the exact cause of these problems remains unknown.
Meanwhile, NASA officials appear confident that their pad repairs will go smoothly. This comes as a relief after recent issues at Russia's primary launch pad for getting people and cargo to the International Space Station. In November, a Soyuz rocket launched Roscosmos cosmonauts and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams on an eight-month mission, with the mobile platform below the rocket crashing into the flame trench below.
The next Progress spacecraft launch is scheduled for March 22, followed by another Progress mission on April 26. The next Soyuz crewed mission remains scheduled for July 14th. Anil Menon will carry NASA astronaut to the space station on this flight.
In a significant development for Russian cosmonauts and NASA officials, a small but persistent leak on the International Space Station has stopped venting atmosphere into space. This comes as welcome news to both parties after years of searching for the source of the problem.
The leak was caused by microscopic cracks inside the PrK module, which lies between a Progress spacecraft airlock and the Zvezda module. The issue had been a long-running concern, with the rate of leakage doubling in 2024, prompting NASA officials to label it as a "high likelihood" and "high consequence" risk.
However, over the past few months, Russian cosmonauts have reportedly found that the leaks seem to be stabilized. According to a space agency spokesman, Josh Finch, following additional inspections and sealing activities, the pressure in the transfer tunnel attached to the Zvezda Service Module is holding steady in a stable configuration. NASA and Roscosmos continue to monitor and investigate the previously observed cracks for any future changes.
The search for the small leaks was like a proverbial needle in a haystack, with cosmonauts periodically closing the hatch leading to the PrK module and searching for tiny accumulations of dust to indicate leak sites. Once identified, they would apply a sealant known as Germetall-1 to the cracks and close the hatch again, only to reopen it and begin the search anew.
The Russian space agency's success in resolving this long-running issue likely does not guarantee an end to new leaks developing in decades-old hardware. The Zvezda module, launched 25 years ago, has experienced cracking issues since its debut. Despite ongoing investigations, the exact cause of these problems remains unknown.
Meanwhile, NASA officials appear confident that their pad repairs will go smoothly. This comes as a relief after recent issues at Russia's primary launch pad for getting people and cargo to the International Space Station. In November, a Soyuz rocket launched Roscosmos cosmonauts and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams on an eight-month mission, with the mobile platform below the rocket crashing into the flame trench below.
The next Progress spacecraft launch is scheduled for March 22, followed by another Progress mission on April 26. The next Soyuz crewed mission remains scheduled for July 14th. Anil Menon will carry NASA astronaut to the space station on this flight.
So this small break in the leak on Russia's aging space station is a huge deal, but let's be real, it's not just about fixing one problem, it's about the bigger picture here. We're talking about decades-old hardware, like that Zvezda module, which has been experiencing cracking issues since its debut. It raises questions about maintenance, funding, and resources allocation. Are we throwing good money after bad with these repairs? Shouldn't we be investing in newer, more reliable technologies instead of patching up old systems?
it's like, crazy how much effort went into finding that needle in a haystack 
i mean, cosmonauts had to close & reopen that hatch like 100 times just to get to the cracks 
anyway, good job russians & nasa! lets hope they keep up the good work 
! Anyway, back to space stuff... so I guess the fact that they finally fixed the leak is kinda cool? But seriously, have you ever thought about how weird it is that astronauts have to deal with stuff like this in space? Like, isn't their life just one big adventure already? 
finally some good news from space! i mean we've been following that whole leak thing and it's been super stressful watching the cosmonauts try to find the source and fix it... but it sounds like they did a great job! russian engineers are literally the best 
25 years old module still giving us issues tho... gotta wonder what kinda maintenance they do on those things 
anyway, glad it's finally stabilized now. fingers crossed for the next launches! 
. I mean, can you imagine searching for a needle in a haystack every time you need to fix it? It sounds like a real challenge, but I guess it paid off in the end.
. Fingers crossed for the next Progress and Soyuz missions! 
... i mean, it's crazy how much work goes into finding something as tiny as cracks in a module 
. but seriously, 25 years old and still experiencing issues? that's just crazy 
. let's hope they don't experience any more problems soon! 
i mean, can you even imagine having to deal with that kind of stress in space? the fact that russian cosmonauts found the tiny cracks by searching for dust & stuff is like, totally amazing 
anyway, so now this is good news, i guess? the fact that they were able to find a fix for the small leaks on the space station after years of searching is pretty impressive. but at the same time, it's just another reminder that even with all our tech advancements, we're still dealing with old hardware that's gotta be kept together with some serious duct tape and prayers 
they finally fixed that leak on iss! it's been a huge deal for years now, like what was goin on in prk module 
.
. The thing is, we all know those old modules are gonna keep leaking eventually 
.
. Anil Menon sounds like a solid choice 
It's all about prioritizing and making sure everything runs smoothly 
.
. But, let's be real, we're not gonna stop until we've got our own Space Station or something 
. I mean, a small leak that's been stabilizing itself? That sounds like a ticking time bomb waiting to happen... or worse, it could just be a symptom of something bigger. All those years of neglect and aging hardware don't exactly fill me with confidence 
I'll believe it's fixed when I see it, you know? The fact that NASA is still relying on Russian cosmonauts to detect these tiny leaks just highlights how far behind we are in terms of technology 
. I mean, 25 years ago they launched the Zvezda module, and now we're still dealing with cracking problems? It's like they didn't plan for the long-term consequences of building in space 
. The fact that it stopped venting atmosphere into space doesn't mean there aren't other issues lurking beneath the surface 
. We don't need any more issues on top of this one 
, but it sounds like a huge relief that the leak on the International Space Station has been fixed! I mean, can you imagine being up there for months with a steady stream of air escaping into space? crazy right?