A small air leak has been detected on the International Space Station (ISS), possibly in the American segment, but it does not threaten the safety of the crew, a source said.
"According to the chief control of the Russia section of the ISS, the station’s crew will move to the Zvezda module on Friday to control the pressure in the modules of the US sector", Roscosmos said.
The decision was made jointly with the United States. The crew will carry out regular tasks during the three days it will spend in the Russian section. Roscosmos confirmed that the crew was not in any danger.
The source said earlier that they plan to isolate the US module on the station by closing the hatches between the segments.
According to the source, the air leak does not pose a threat to the safety of the ISS and its crew.
The last time an air leak on the ISS was recorded was on 30 August 2018. It turned out that the reason was a man-made hole in the Soyuz spacecraft. The cosmonauts filled the hole with a sealant, but the cause of it is still unknown. A Roscosmos commission determined out that the ship could have been damaged on Earth.
In 2004, an air leak was discovered on the US segment of the ISS. After a long search, the astronauts discovered that it was located in the hose on the porthole of the Destiny module.