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2024-10-31 Science & Technology
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The International Space Station should be evacuated IMMEDIATELY
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[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Expert warns leaving it too late 'could lead to a disaster that would kill not only the astronauts, but also NASA's reputation'.
| OR.. they could put one of the large Sierra inflatable space stations docked to the ISS for a new crew quarters and seal up the bad Russian module until the problem is solved. The Sierra module could be launched by Falcon Heavy or Vulcan or Blue Origin near term. Out 1/2 a year they could just doc a starship to the ISS. It has more interior volume than most of the ISS modules in total. Also, an F9 based rocket system is contracted for, already, to de-orbit ISS. I think it's a waste as ISS is Mass in Space that can be repurposed for raw materials. |
Nick Pope, a former civil servant who once ran the British Government's UFO project, told MailOnline that the space agency's 'wait-and-see' attitude could have devastating consequences.
'Leaving it too late could lead to a disaster that would kill not only the astronauts, but also NASA's reputation,' he said.
His warning comes as NASA revealed it is tracking 50 'areas 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 case of an emergency evacuation whenever the hatch to the leaky section is open.
NASA has now promoted the leak to a 'top safety risk'.
However, it insists that its astronauts will remain aboard the station.
But as NASA and its Russian counterpart, Roscomos, fail to patch or even find the leak there are now growing concerns over the safety of the ISS.
The leak was first detected in 2019 in the Russian Zvezda Service Module Transfer Tunnel which provides station living quarters, life support systems, electrical power distribution and data processing, flight control and propulsion systems.
However, despite the space agencies covering potential cracks with 'a combination of sealant and patches' 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 air escaping temporarily increased from 0.2 lbs per day (0.09 kg) to 2.4 lbs (1.08 kg) per day.
The leak then hit 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' this September and escalated to the highest level on NASA's risk scale.
NASA officials say they have reached a deal with Roscomos to only open the hatch to the leaking section when necessary and to keep it sealed during the evenings.
Whenever the hatch is open, NASA has instructed all astronauts to remain on the American side of the station so they can be nearer to their spacecraft in case of an emergency.
However, Mr Pope says that this has put NASA in a 'tight spot'.
He says: 'Evacuating the ISS too soon will increase the gap between NASA and Elon Musk and make NASA look like a declining force, but leaving it too late could lead to a disaster.'
While NASA maintains that the Zvezda module's hatch remains closed as much as possible, if the leaks become severe the station could rapidly lose pressure and oxygen.
In the case of such an emergency, all astronauts would need to climb aboard their assigned 'lifeboats' docked with the station.
The capsules have been stocked with emergency suits, allowing the crew to quickly put on the proper gear as they flee the orbiting laboratory, saving more valuable time.
NASA's Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich said that in the event of an emergency, SpaceX's Dragon could be powered up within minutes.
However, the space agency has also admitted that the ISS is not sufficiently prepared for capsule failures which could leave some astronauts stranded.
The OIG report says: 'Due to the high costs and a limited budget, the lack of ready-to-launch vehicles prevent the Agency from having an immediate response capability if crew vehicles encounter significant damage and are no longer safe for crew evacuation.'
In the event of an impact from a micrometeor or piece of space debris, this could lead to a situation in which astronauts have no way of fleeing the damaged station.
NASA says that an impact of this kind could cause 'serious damage or catastrophic failure, and can be a threat to astronauts'.
However, due to the costs of performing upgrades in space, NASA has said it will not provide any additional shielding to protect the station from objects larger than 3cm.
Mr Pope adds: 'Space is inherently dangerous and the space program carries with it a degree of risk. But with lives at stake, a wait-and-see option has higher consequences.'
However, not all experts are convinced that the Zvezda module leak is likely to lead to catastrophic failure.
Dr Simeon Barber, a space scientist at The Open University, told MailOnline: 'Although this is seen as a high priority issue to resolve, it is not putting astronauts in immediate danger.'
By closing the hatch to Zvezda, the leak can be contained no matter how fast it becomes.
'The problem is that if the leak gets too bad, they might have to leave the hatch permanently closed, meaning the docking ports beyond the hatch can’t be used,' says Dr Barber.
Although this would make resupplying the space station more difficult it would ensure that the station can continue functioning.
While this might not be a threat to human life, experts say that this could lead NASA to decommission the station earlier than planned.
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Posted by Skidmark 2024-10-31 00:00||
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