The International Space Station in orbit.
NASA
Three space explorers who roam the Earth aboard the International Space Station have a mystery in their hands thanks to a small but persistent air leak. NASA is currently in search mode to find the source.
While an air leak in space seems worrying, NASA doesn’t bother her. “The leak is still within segment specifications and poses no immediate danger to the crew or the space station,” NASA said in a statement Thursday.
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A small air leak is normal, and this particular leak has been on the radar for some time. “In September 2019, NASA and its international partners saw for the first time indications of a slight increase above the standard cabin air leak rate,” the agency said. A further increase in this rate triggered further action to find the source so that it can be repaired.
From left to right, NASA astronaut and commander Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonauts and flight engineers Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner.
NASA
The current crew consists of Chris Cassidy from NASA and Russian cosmonauts Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin from Roscosmos. All three will spend Friday through Monday morning hanging out together in the Zvezda service module, a Russian segment of the ISS.
Docking at Zvezda gives the crew a chance to close the station’s hatches so NASA can monitor the air pressure in each section. “The test presents no safety concerns for the crew,” NASA said, and it should help mission controllers determine where the small leak is coming from.
The first results are expected next week.
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