Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have been advised to prepare for a possible evacuation, sparking panic among experts.
NASA and Roscosmos have reported growing safety risks due to structural issues on the aging orbital outpost.
With the ISS slated for retirement by the end of the decade, NASA has identified 50 “areas of concern,” including cracks and persistent oxygen leaks, one of which has been ongoing since 2019 in the Russian service module.
The five-year-old leak, located near a hatch installed in 2000, has been deemed a “top safety risk” by NASA’s Office of the Inspector General.
This was recently raised to a threat level of five out of five.
While astronauts have managed to cover the cracks with temporary patches, NASA officials warn that worsening conditions could endanger the station’s integrity.
Jim Frees, NASA’s associate administrator, told the Washington Post: “We have conveyed the seriousness of the leaks multiple times, including when I was in Russia earlier this year,” in discussions with Roscosmos officials to address the station’s risks.
Although closing off the affected tunnel is a last-resort option that would prevent oxygen loss, it would also seal off a crucial docking port used by Soyuz and Progress spacecraft, further complicating crew transport and resupply missions.
Given the potential for damage escalation, NASA officials are weighing options for more permanent repair solutions or mitigations to maintain the ISS’s integrity until its planned decommissioning date.
Despite the measures currently in place, the agency acknowledges the difficulty of maintaining such an old structure, especially with its critical role in scientific research, international collaboration, and crewed missions in low-Earth orbit.
