Anish Vij
NASA astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) are being issued safety precautions with 50 'areas of concern' on board.
The American space agency and its Russian counterpart have been aware of a leak on the ISS since 2019.
However, in a report from September, NASA and Roscosmos have referred to the leak as a 'safety risk' for astronauts in the station.
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They are currently looking into four cracks and 50 other 'areas of concern' as fixes remain ongoing.
Although NASA has told the Washington Post that Roscosmos has used 'a combination of sealant and patches' to cover up the cracks, internal risk assessments score it a five out of five.
"We have conveyed the seriousness of the leaks multiple times, including when I was in Russia earlier this year," NASA associate administrator, Jim Free, told the outlet.
As a fix, they've instructed astronauts to keep the hatch closed as much as possible 'in the evening'.
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When the hatch is open, NASA's employees are instructed to remain on the US side of the space station in the case of an emergency.
It's so they are close enough to their spacecraft if they were told to evacuate.
NASA’s Office of Inspector General said in April the cracks were a 'top safety risk' and that 'NASA identified an increase in the leak rate to its highest level to date'.
While they don't know the exact reason behind the leaks, Free insisted that 'the leakage rate has gone down' in recent months.
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“We’ve asked them to minimise how long that hatch is open, and they are minimising it,” Free said.
“We’ve come to a compromise that they close it in the evening.”
The space agency believes that the ISS is still safe enough for the remaining 11 people onboard.
This comes after a NASA astronaut was taken to hospital for an undisclosed medical issue on their return from a nearly eight-month space station mission, last week.
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A SpaceX capsule carrying three Americans and one Russian parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico after undocking from the International Space Station.
NASA news chief Cheryl Warner said: "To protect the crew member's medical privacy, specific details on the individual's condition or identity will not be shared.
"The one astronaut who remains at Ascension is in stable condition under observation as a precautionary measure."
While a NASA spokesperson added: "We’re grateful to Ascension Sacred Heart for its support during this time, and we are proud of our team for its quick action to ensure the safety of our crew members.
"NASA will provide additional information as it becomes available."