NASA and Roscosmos have escalated safety protocols on the International Space Station (ISS) following an ongoing air leak and mounting structural concerns that now rank among the highest safety risks for the orbiting station.
The issues, tracked over the past five years, include a persistent leak in the Zvezda Service Module, prompting both space agencies to consider emergency evacuation protocols.
NASA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recently identified more than 50 “areas of concern” on the 25-year-old space station, with the Zvezda leak alone being upgraded to a “top safety risk” level, rated five out of five.
The Growing Risk from Zvezda Module’s Air Leak
The Zvezda Service Module, a core segment of the ISS that supports life systems and enables docking, first exhibited air leakage in 2019. Efforts to seal the cracks, including using patches and sealants, have thus far been unsuccessful in halting the leak’s progression. According to the OIG’s latest report, the rate of air escaping the module reached a record high in April 2024, with approximately 3.7 pounds (1.68 kg) of air lost daily. In response, NASA has implemented stringent protocols, requiring astronauts to stay on the U.S. side of the station whenever the Zvezda module is open, and to only enter it for essential tasks.
NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free highlighted the agency’s proactive approach, stating, “We have conveyed the seriousness of the leaks multiple times, including when I was in Russia earlier this year.” NASA and Roscosmos reached an agreement to limit the module’s use, keeping the hatch closed during non-essential hours to minimize air loss. NASA has also taken additional measures by contracting SpaceX for a contingency evacuation plan, paying $266,000 to prepare for an emergency return of U.S. astronauts who would otherwise depend on Russian spacecraft.
Long-term Safety Concerns amid ISS Aging and Orbital Debris
The OIG report also underscores other critical challenges, including risks posed by micrometeoroids and orbital debris (MMOD) that could further endanger the ISS structure. NASA’s analysis shows that while shields on the U.S. sections protect against debris up to three centimeters in size, there are no defenses in place for larger pieces. With millions of small debris fragments orbiting Earth, the probability of significant impacts is increasing, adding another top-level risk to the ISS’s operational safety.
In the report, NASA acknowledges that debris poses not only a risk to the station’s integrity but also complicates safe evacuation in the event of damage to crew transport vehicles. While replacement parts and repairs have maintained ISS functionality beyond its planned lifespan, the station now has hundreds of components operating past their intended use dates, with 588 parts flagged as overdue for replacement in September 2024 alone. As NASA and its partners consider extending ISS operations to 2030, these escalating maintenance needs and safety concerns continue to challenge its future.
Preparing for an Uncertain Future
NASA’s partnership with SpaceX and ongoing collaboration with Roscosmos are part of a broader strategy to mitigate these mounting risks while maintaining ISS operations. In the event of emergency evacuation, American astronauts have been trained to quickly reach the Crew Dragon capsule, which remains docked as an escape vehicle. The agencies are closely monitoring the situation, with regular assessments of leak progression, structural vulnerabilities, and potential hazards from space debris. According to ISS program manager Joel Montalbano, “the leak is not an immediate risk to crew safety or vehicle operations but is something for everybody to be aware of.”
NASA’s report underscores the complex balance between addressing immediate safety needs and planning for the long-term sustainability of the ISS. As a unique research facility contributing to space exploration, science, and international collaboration, the ISS remains an essential asset despite the challenges posed by its aging infrastructure.
Thank you Gentlemen for the alert awareness of the present situation.
American Astronaut in location of Hydro wires have witnessed security atmosphere around wire lines placing rocks 6-8 feet and larger being placed down in parks. Other rocks seen within 3m zone of sidewalks.
Electrical grid (mish ming) in exchange around bridges, maintaining structural map (GPS) interface.
Enclose the station with a big plastic bag. We would get a better idea of problems if we knew what was leaking. A big plastic bag would enable safer EVAs, too, particularly if EVAs were in tee shirts. Bags are cheap, easy to fabricate openings for, and would offer free protection. A big Mylar bag big enough to enclose the solar panels would fit in between the seats in a crew capsule.
Looks like the damages caused by Nauka’s uncommanded firing in 2021, causing the station to roll, may have been more extensive.
Perhaps it’s time we retire the ISS and build something bigger and better for our future astronauts. Something capable of being a refueling station for moon and Mars missions.
Daisy Divine you are so right. Thank you!
It’s time to junk it plan a controlled crash into the deepest part of the ocean or start a big pile of space junk in the middle of the Sahara dessert. With luck most of it will burn up in the atmosphere. Then clean up all the rest of space junk like satellites that don’t work anymore and other space garbage. Also ,quit the race race to Mars! We have a beautiful plant here let’s make it better for all mankind.
I think based on the agevof the ISS and it’s deteriorating factor it is time to consider a drawdown with both NASA and ROCOSMOS while there is still time to get out without a catastrophic event.
I am not an expert, but if the windows on the ISS are chipped and have micro cracked, and the Space Station is in the near vacuum of space. So, why doesn’t the vacuum of space just suck the atmosphere out of the ISS?
This is a working science project, air leaks could happen on any craft, it seems to me that trying to discover where and how to deal with it is a mission positive scientific test ? From the ISS to the new DRAGON , leaks are a fact of space travel. Steps have been taken for crew safety, I suggest a more aggressive approach to locate and stop the leak might help future missions and crew.
Have one astronaut go outside in a space suit while the other astronauts fire up big ol’ doobies. The astronaut outside will be able to identify the leaks by the smoke coming out. Then the astronauts inside, who by this time will have the munchies, can open up some Doritos and bean dip. The bean dip can be used to spackle the larger leaks, while the floating Doritos dust will work it’s way into the crevices to plug the less accessible leaks. The resulting flatulence will repressurize the space station.
If the leak continues, they will have to change the name from ISS to the ISSSSSSSSSSSS.
Crash into the ocean. Better yet shot into the sun. Why keep polluting the ocean with space junk.Abandon the international station. It’s never yielded much. The robot craft are adding much more science. Sustaining life up there is too difficult. Try again in a hundred years. Meanwhile rely on the robot aircraft
Some of the ISS, must have some value! It’s there, why not use it.
Seams like a total waste, to not use what is usable!
100% agree with Anthony, leave Mats alone. We’ve ruined our own planet, we’ve ruined space in the immediate area around our own planet. Just because we can, does not mean that we should also visit, possibly populate, then also ruin Mars. Rather than spending billions or trillions on this folly, why not fix our own Earth based mistakes first.
Perhaps the next major endeavor should be mitigating the space debris problem. It’s likely to get worse, so it would seem like some type of robotic satellites that collect space debris, and somehow putting it on a trajectory towards earth – the idea being the debris will burn up in the earth’s atmosphere.