NASA authorized the resumption of normal operations aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday after several hours of concern related to a worsening air leak detected in the Russian Zvezda module. The astronauts had been temporarily placed in a safety protocol and advised to prepare for a possible emergency evacuation.
The alert was triggered after monitoring teams observed an acceleration in the rate of leakage from this critical module of the Russian segment of the station. In response, the four crew members of the Crew-12 mission were ordered to return to their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and don their spacesuits, ready to depart the ISS if necessary.
An exceptional precautionary measure
Among the astronauts involved was French astronaut Sophie Adenot, accompanied by two American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut. This evacuation procedure remains extremely rare in the history of the International Space Station, as no crew has ever been forced to leave the station since it became operational nearly three decades ago.
After several hours of assessment and the temporary suspension of repair operations being carried out by the Russian space agency Roscosmos inside the Zvezda module, the situation was deemed stable enough to allow a return to normal. The astronauts were then authorized to leave their escape vehicle and resume their usual scientific and technical activities.
A leak that has been monitored for several months
The problem is not new. For many months, NASA and Roscosmos have been trying to pinpoint the exact source of several micro-air leaks observed in the Zvezda module, one of the oldest components of the station. The two space agencies sometimes disagree on the analysis of the exact causes of the phenomenon and on the best repair methods.
According to US officials, the leak rate observed on Friday was more than double the levels usually recorded. The air loss reportedly increased from about one pound per day to nearly two pounds daily, fueling concerns among ground crews. While these volumes remain limited on a station-wide scale, their increase warranted the activation of safety procedures.
Cooperation between NASA and Roscosmos maintained
Despite persistent geopolitical tensions between Moscow and Washington, the ISS remains one of the few areas where cooperation between the two powers remains active. NASA has indicated that it will continue its joint work with Roscosmos to determine a lasting solution to the air leak problem.
This latest alert also serves as a reminder of the challenges associated with the gradual aging of the International Space Station. As the ISS approaches three decades of operation, its various modules require increasingly complex maintenance. Space agencies nevertheless hope to continue operating it until the early 2030s while ensuring the safety of the crews who live and work permanently aboard the orbital laboratory.
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