NASA’s astronauts must evacuate the International Space Station (ISS) immediately to avoid a fatal disaster, a space expert has warned.
Nick Pope, a former civil servant who once led the British government’s UFO project, told MailOnline that the space agency’s wait-and-see approach could have devastating consequences.
“Leaving it too late could lead to a disaster that not only kills the astronauts but also NASA’s reputation,” he said.
His warning comes after NASA revealed it is monitoring 50 “points of concern” related to a growing leak on the Russian side of the ISS.
American astronauts have been instructed to wait near the escape hatch in the event of an emergency evacuation once the hatch to the leaking area is open.
NASA has now promoted the leak to a ‘top safety risk’.
However, it insists its astronauts will remain on board the station.
But with NASA and its Russian counterpart, Roscomos, failing to repair or even find the leak, there are now growing concerns about the safety of the ISS.
A space expert has warned that NASA’s decision to keep astronauts on board the space station could lead to a fatal disaster
NASA has warned its astronauts to be ready for an emergency evacuation as concerns arise about a crack in the Russian part of the station. All seven astronauts remain on the American side when the hatch to the leaking section is open
The leak was first discovered in 2019 in Russia’s Zvezda Service Module Transfer Tunnel, which provides living quarters, life support systems, electrical distribution and data processing, flight control and propulsion systems.
Despite space agencies covering potential cracks with “a combination of sealant and band-aids,” the leak has only grown faster in recent years.
In February, NASA was forced to hold a press conference on the issue as the amount of escaping air temporarily increased from 0.2 lbs per day (0.09 kg) to 2.4 lbs (1.08 kg) per day.
The leak then reached record rates in April, losing 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) of air every day, according to a report from NASA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
As the leak continues to grow, the situation was declared a “top safety risk” in September and escalated to the highest level on NASA’s risk scale.
NASA officials say they have reached a deal with Roscomos to open the hatch to the leaking section only when necessary and keep it closed at night.
When the hatch is open, NASA has instructed all astronauts to remain on the U.S. side of the station so they can be closer to their spacecraft in the event of an emergency.
However, Mr Pope says this has left NASA in a “sticky situation”.
NASA is now tracking 50 “points of concern” related to a leak in Russia’s Zvezda Service Module Transfer Tunnel (labeled), which caused a leak in 2019. A space expert says leaving it too late to escape the station could lead to deaths. of astronauts
It is not the first time that the ISS has leaked. In 2018, astronauts rushed to repair a hole (pictured) that had appeared in the outer wall of the Soyuz capsule in the orbiting laboratory. The origin of the damage remains a mystery
He says, “Evacuating the ISS too early will widen the rift between NASA and Elon Musk and make NASA look like a declining force, but leaving too late could lead to disaster.”
Although NASA insists the Zvezda module hatch remains closed as much as possible, the station could quickly lose pressure and oxygen if the leaks become severe.
In the event of such an emergency, all astronauts would have to climb aboard their assigned “lifeboats” docked at the station.
The capsules are equipped with emergency suits so that the crew can quickly don the appropriate equipment as they flee the orbiting laboratory, saving even more valuable time.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich said that in the event of an emergency, SpaceX’s Dragon can be launched in minutes.
However, the space agency has also admitted that the ISS is not adequately prepared for capsule failures that could leave some astronauts stranded.
The OIG report says, “Due to high costs and limited budgets, the lack of ready-to-go vehicles prevents the Agency from immediately responding if crew vehicles sustain significant damage and are no longer safe for crew evacuation.”
In the event of a micrometeor or piece of space debris impact, this could lead to a situation in which astronauts can no longer escape the damaged station.
NASA admits it has no contingency plan for damage to its ‘lifeboats’ from the micrometeorites that regularly hit the station. In 2021, the Canadarm2 robotic arm was struck by space debris, causing a hole in the metal
ESA astronaut Tim Peake took this photo from inside Cupola in 2016, showing a circular chip with a diameter of 7 mm ripped out by the impact of a small piece of space debris. NASA has said it will not add additional shielding to the station to protect larger pieces of debris
NASA says such an impact “could cause serious damage or catastrophic failure, and could pose a threat to astronauts.”
However, due to the cost of performing upgrades in space, NASA has said it will not provide additional shielding to protect the station from objects larger than 3cm.
Mr Pope added: ‘Space travel is inherently dangerous and the space program carries a degree of risk. But when lives are at stake, a wait-and-see attitude has greater consequences.”
However, not all experts are convinced that the Zvezda module leak is likely to lead to a catastrophic failure.
Dr. Simeon Barber, a space scientist at the Open University, told MailOnline: ‘Although this is seen as a high-priority problem to solve, it does not put astronauts in immediate danger.’
Closing the hatch to Zvezda will stop the leak, no matter how quickly it happens.
‘The problem is that if the leak gets too big, they may have to leave the hatch closed permanently, which means the docking ports behind the hatch cannot be used,’ says Dr Barber.
While this would make supplying the space station more difficult, it would ensure that the station can continue to function.
While this may not pose a threat to human life, experts say it could lead to NASA dismantling the station ahead of schedule.
The Zvezda module is used to access a Russian cargo dock (pictured here). Due to the escalating leak, the Russian space agency has agreed to keep the module sealed except when necessary. If the leak occurs more quickly, the module may need to be permanently sealed to protect the drive
The ISS has remained in orbit for a decade longer than originally intended, and its aging systems are showing serious signs of wear and tear.
If the Zvezda module had to be sealed, the air loss would mean more frequent resupply of the station, while making this more difficult.
Independent space safety expert Laura Forczyk told MailOnline: ‘If leaks on the ISS worsen significantly to the point where NASA and Russia conclude the situation is unsafe, this could mean the ISS will have to be dismantled sooner than expected.’
NASA currently maintains that the station remains safe and says it is working with Roscomos to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
A NASA spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘NASA and Roscosmos continue to evaluate onboard and ground test data with the primary goal of identifying the root cause, gaining a better understanding of the risks to station operations and making repairs .’