The International Space Station is still losing oxygen, but the situation is under control, the Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Saturday, adding that the agency is ready to send an additional amount of oxygen if the problem intensifies.
The leak affects the Russian section of the ISS, the apparent defect located in an access section to the Zvezda module. The exact location is not yet clear, Russian media reported.
“We have had this leak for some time, the rate is very low, nothing has happened. One of the leaks has been found and reduced, but it remains,” Roscosmos program director Sergei Krikalev told Russia’s Interfax news agency.
The pressure to find the source of the leakage increases as the oxygen reserves and air pressure continue to decrease.
The cause of the damage is unknown
A 4.5-centimeter (1.7-inch) rupture was already discovered in October with a floating and sealed tea bag.
The astronauts, not knowing why it caused the damage, realized that there was another leak from another part of the same section of the 20-year-old spacecraft. However, they failed to find the malfunction during a spacewalk in November.
Astronauts are considering sealing the affected section and using the oxygen reserves, but say this would have an impact on the overall functioning of the ISS.
‘Everything is under control’
Roscosmos said there was no danger to the seven people aboard the ISS, which included four Americans, two Russians and a Japanese astronaut.
The head of the agency, Dmitry Rogozin, assured the public that there are oxygen reserves on board and that a scheduled delivery of goods in February will include oxygen.
“First of all, the station itself has oxygen reserves. That is, if it is necessary to supplement the oxygen and nitrogen in case of loss of atmospheric pressure, we have such reserves. And we will send a cargo ship to the ISS in February. It already has a source of oxygen, “Rogozin was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency TASS.
“If necessary, we can use our relationship with NASA and send some of the cargo, including oxygen, with an American cargo ship,” Rogozin said. “No need to worry, everything is fine, everything is under control.”
mvb / dj (dpa, Interfax)