NASA Believes International Space Station Leak Can Be ‘Catastrophic’

NASA has concerns about the structural integrity of the Russian module and the “possibility of a catastrophic failure,” per ISS Advisory Committee chair Bob Cabana

In this handout provided by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), back dropped by planet Earth the International Space Station (ISS) is seen from NASA space shuttle Endeavour — View of the International Space Station . Photo: NASA via Getty

NASA has growing concerns about an ongoing air leak on a Russian section of the International Space Station (ISS) that has been going on since 2019.

According to SpaceNews, Bob Cabana, a former NASA astronaut who now chairs the ISS Advisory Committee, raised the issue during a meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

“While the Russian team continues to search for and seal the leaks, it does not believe catastrophic disintegration of the PrK [module] is realistic. NASA has expressed concerns about the structural integrity of the PrK and the possibility of a catastrophic failure,” said Cabana.

IN SPACE - AUGUST 6: In this NASA handout, back dropped by the blackness of space and Earth?s horizon, this full view of the International Space Station is seen onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery following the undocking of the two spacecraft August 6, 2005. Discovery pulled away from the complex at 2:24 a.m. (CDT) on August 6, 2005. Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to return to Earth August 8. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images) — View of the International Space Station.nasa/getty

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“The Russians believe that continued operations are safe but they can’t prove to our satisfaction that they are, and the U.S. believes that it’s not safe but we can’t prove to the Russians’ satisfaction that that’s the case,” he continued, per the news site.

A report from NASA’s Office of Inspector General published in September stated that while the leaks’ root cause remains unknown, the ISS and Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, have “narrowed their focus to internal and external welds.”

IN SPACE - DECEMBER 19: In this handout from NASA, the International Space Station is seen from the Space Shuttle Discovery after undocking from the station December 19, 2006 in orbit around the Earth. The shuttle is scheduled to land December 22. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images) — View of the International Space Station.nasa/getty

The news comes after NASA identified an increase in the leak rate in February, per the report. The rate at which air was leaking peaked at 3.7 pounds per day in April but was reduced “by roughly a third” with repairs, according to Space.com.

The ISS Program and Roscosmos officially met in May and June to discuss heightened concerns, elevating the leak risk to the highest level in its risk management system, per the report.

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“According to NASA, Roscosmos is confident they will be able to monitor and close the hatch to the Service Module prior to the leak rate reaching an untenable level. However, NASA and Roscosmos have not reached an agreement on the point at which the leak rate is untenable,” the report further stated.