How many of us drive such old vehicles? The premise is necessary because whenever we talk about breakdowns and losses on the ISSthere is always a lot of controversy
Premise: as you well know the form Star has been in orbit since 2000, so it has 24 years old. How many of us drive such old vehicles? The premise is necessary because whenever we talk about breakdowns and losses on the ISSa welter of controversy always breaks out; But guys, let’s get over it: an old thing breaks down and wears out. The important thing is that the problems do not jeopardize the lives of astronauts and cosmonauts between now and 2030 when the ISS passes away. There NASAin a new report, published by George Scottinspector general of the agency and picked up by the magazine Ars Technicahighlight the seriousness of the problem.
The document
The document indicates that in February this year the rate of air leaks from less than 450 grams it increased to 1 kg per dayand in April this figure it even increased to 1.6 kg per day. However, over years of research, neither Russian nor American officials have been able to identify the exact root cause of this process. Both departments believe the answer may lie in the insufficient seal of the internal and external welds. One of the solutions NASA has arrived at is that of ensure that the Zvezda module hatch leading to its docking node remains closed at all times. If the leak gets worse, you may need to permanently close this opening. In this case, the number of docking ports for Russian spacecraft on the ISS will be reduced from four to three.
The agency has not commented publicly on concerns about the station’s gradual deterioration, as the losses so far are limited and have not affected other parts of the ISS. There NASA is actively discussing the future of ISSwhich is slowly approaching the end of its operational life. Roscosmos he stipulated an agreement to continue operating the orbital complex until 2028while the NASA e i partner predict to remain on the station until 2030. Subsequently, both countries plan to move to their own stations. There Russian Federation plans to build the Russian Orbital Station ()While the American agency will begin i flights to private space stations, already built by Axiom Space, Blue Origin and Voyager Space. However, it is not yet known whether their development will be completed before the beginning of the next decade. In a recent statement, Yuri Borisov, Director General of Roscosmos, has not ruled out continuing collaboration with international partners until 2030 date commonly indicated as the limit beyond which securing the space station would entail investments that are no longer economically sustainable.
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