International Space Station facing irreparable failures, Russia warns

[bogeyman]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58408911

The International Space Station (ISS) could suffer "irreparable" failures due to outdated equipment and hardware, a Russian official has warned.

At least 80 percent of in-flight systems on the Russian segment of the ISS had passed their expiry date, Vladimir Solovyov told state media.

He also said small cracks had been discovered that could worsen over time.

Russia has often raised concerns over hardware and has suggested it could leave the ISS after 2025.

The station was built in 1998 as part of a joint project between Russia, America, Canada, Japan and several European countries and was originally designed for a 15-year lifespan.

Mr Solovyov, the chief engineer at the space company Energia, which is the leading developer of Russia's section of the ISS, said: "Literally a day after the [in-flight] systems are fully exhausted, irreparable failures may begin."

He warned last year that much of the equipment on the station was starting to age and would soon need to be replaced.


Everything ages and has its time. Will it be replaced if decommissioned.?

[BoR]

Of course compared to the technology the (real) SSP actually possesses, according to multiple testimonies, this station has always been a crude, outdated relic, though very valuable for the mainstream scientists and public interested in space.

[Inversion]

The crew aboard the ISS are on standby for a possible evacuation due to leaks. It's also at risk of being hit by micro meteorites. I think there's a group that want the station gone before an impending event or it could be a staged distraction away from the election. This story reminds me of the 2013 movie Gravity.

dailymail

NASA's astronauts aboard the International Space Station have been told to prepare for an urgent evacuation amid growing safety concerns.

The US space agency and its Russian counterpart, Roscomos, are tracking 50 'areas of concern' related to a growing leak aboard the station.

NASA is now calling the cracks in a Russian service module a 'top safety risk' - escalating the threat rating to five out of five.

In 2019 it was noted that the module had begun to leak a small amount of air through an unidentified crack.

However, despite efforts to seal the module, the amount of air escaping the station has only increased over the last five years.

In February this year, 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.

A report published in September by NASA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) confirmed that the leak then hit record rates in April - losing 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) of air every day.

This has prompted the space agency to escalate the threat rating to the highest level and consider plans for evacuation.