Where were new cracks found on the ISS and what danger do they pose? Several blind cracks were found in the Zarya module of the Russian Segment of the International Space Station (ISS).
The cosmonauts found several blind cracks in the Russian segment of the ISS. They were found on the oldest, the first of the Zarya module put into operation.
This was announced to RIA Novosti by Vladimir Soloviev, General Designer of RSC Energia, Flight Director of the ISS Russian Segment.
So far, cracks in the skin, as such, do not pose a serious danger. However, as Solovyov said, through cracks had already been found in the module, so he does not exclude that over time, the detected damage will also begin to creep.
Where have cracks been found previously?
Last year, astronauts discovered several cracks in the Zvezda module. A small air leak on the ISS was recorded in September 2019. In October 2020, the crew discovered the first crack in the intermediate chamber of the Zvezda module and in March 2021 repaired it with a special reinforced patch. Later it became known about the presence of a second crack, on which a layer of sealant was applied. However, according to experts, the air leak did not stop, although it decreased. In January, Soloviev reported that due to a leak, which is equivalent to a hole with a diameter of 0.2 mm, the air pressure at the station drops by 0.4 mm Hg per day, but this is far from emergency values – from 0.5 mm per minute.
How is the ISS air leakage problem solved?
To compensate for the leak, the ISS uses nitrogen and oxygen pumping. Their stocks are stored at the station, and also brought from Earth on cargo ships.
When does Russia plan to complete the operation of the ISS?
The ISS Russian Segment Flight Director urged to reconsider the timing of Russia's further participation in the ISS project and focus on the implementation of the national orbital station program. According to Solovyov, about 80 percent of the systems of the Zvezda module have already exceeded the warranty period. The rest of the systems of the Russian orbital complex are also in a high degree of wear and tear. Hardware manufacturers do not guarantee that after 2025 it will not start to fail.
On July 31, during a meeting of the Presidium of the Scientific and Technical Council (STC), the Council of Chief Designers came to the conclusion that due to the aging of a significant part of the equipment of the International Space Station (ISS), further operation of the Russian segment of the ISS after 2024 creates additional risks.
During the meeting, it was proposed to complete the operation of the ISS by 2028 and to create a national manned space complex in low Earth orbit – the Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS).
What do they want to use ROSS for?
The new Russian national orbital station will be the prototype of the modules that are planned to be sent to other planets. “In fact, the new station will be the prototype of those large manned modules that in the future, in decades, will reach other planets not just with crews, but with a large number of specialists that will be required to explore the planets of the solar system,” said the head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin to specialists RSC Energia.
