The cracks in the International Space Station (ISS) they are starting to become disturbingly common. There was already one in 2018 that brought astronauts headfirst for months, until they managed to find its origin and seal it. Later others have been found. Fortunately, they all posed minor problems, which at no time have endangered the integrity of the station or the lives of its crew. Nor does it seem that the most recent ones, detected in the Russian module Zarya. However, they are the clear indicator that, as we already imagined, the facilities are getting old, showing the end of their useful life ever closer.
This latest finding was announced yesterday by Vladimir Solovyov, former cosmonaut and chief engineer of the Space Rocket and Energy Corporation, at the Russian news agency ESTUARY.
He explained that the cracks on the International Space Station are surface cracks located in the ox eyes of Zarya. At the moment they are not dangerous, but they could spread over time. And that, of course, is not good news.
More about the new cracks on the International Space Station
The Russian module Zarya, also called the Functional Load Block, was the first to be launched at the ISS in November 1998. During this stage it was in charge of supplying electricity to the incipient facilities, as well as serving for storage and propulsion during assembly.
Later, new modules focused on some of those functions were released, so over time it has been relegated only to the storage. Now, 23 years later, he has become the protagonist of the new rifts on the International Space Station. Of course, it is showing its age and the fact that it will not last much longer.
In addition, although the cracks found so far have been easy to fix, Sovloyov believes that they could get worse. It’s not just about air leaks, which so far have not reached worrying levels and have been compensated by regularly blowing air into the affected areas. The former cosmonaut considers that also many equipment could be damaged by 2025.
And it is that, in reality, then the planned retirement date of the station would be more than past. When it was initially launched into space, the space agencies that signed the agreement for its construction decided that its life would be maintained. until 2020. Later they chose to extend the date until 2024, at first with the reluctance of the Russian Roscosmos.
What is clear is that he does not have much time left. For this reason, alternatives are already being projected. It is the case of Gateway, the space station projected by the American, European, Canadian, Russian and Japanese space agencies to orbit the Moon. China has been left out, and it has not wasted time either, since the China National Space Administration (CNSA) it has already begun construction of its own Space Station and has even sent its first crew members there. Renewed or die. This applies to many facets of life and, of course, the space race is also one of them.