Suddenly it had to be quick, 400 kilometers above Earth. Due to new leaks on a Russian module of the International Space Station ISS, several astronauts preemptively retreated into the docked Dragon spacecraft. Pressure loss, along with fire on board, is among the serious dangers at humanity's outpost. For space experts, the recent incident is no cause for panic – but it shows fundamental challenges of manned spaceflight. Here are three things we can learn from it:
First: The ISS is getting old
The International Space Station has been permanently inhabited for more than 25 years. Many of its modules date from the late 1990s or early 2000s. Accordingly, signs of wear are increasing. 'The necessity of permanent monitoring is at least as important in space as on Earth,' recalls Europe's former space chief Jan Wörner. 'Lack of care cannot simply be postponed by temporary closure here.'
Experts point out that in particular older components of the flying laboratory must be increasingly monitored and maintained. The affected transition tunnel of the Russian service module Zvezda has been considered a problem case for years. Small air leaks have been registered and repaired there repeatedly.
In addition, there are the enormous stresses of space operations. Extreme temperature fluctuations, material fatigue, radiation influences, and numerous docking and undocking maneuvers leave their marks. According to Russian information, the affected docking system has experienced significantly more dockings than other modules of the station. The incident in weightlessness thus also shows the limits of infrastructure that is used much longer than originally intended.
Second: International cooperation also works in crisis
Not only the leak itself is remarkable, but also the way it was handled. The safety protocols worked as intended. While Russian cosmonauts prepared the repairs, US astronauts preemptively moved into the docked 'Dragon' spacecraft from SpaceX. Thus, a safe retreat and the possibility of a quick return to Earth were always available.
The incident also illustrates that international cooperation in space continues to work. Despite Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the space agencies of Russia, the USA, and their partners work closely together on the ISS. Four Germans have also been on the ISS – astronauts Thomas Reiter, Hans Schlegel, Alexander Gerst, and Matthias Maurer.
Safety-relevant information is exchanged on the ISS, decisions are coordinated, and emergency plans are implemented jointly. The space station thus remains one of the few major projects in which cooperation between Moscow and Washington continues despite political tensions.
'It is remarkable that cooperation works at the engineering level - perhaps also a model for managing earthly crises,' emphasizes Wörner, former Director General of the European Space Agency ESA. The ISS is too important to be abandoned in political dispute. 'It is regrettable that many other scientific projects were immediately abandoned: Even in times of crisis, connections must remain! This role currently falls only to the ISS.'
Third: Despite Mars plans, think about everyday life in space
Spaceflight attention is currently often focused on moon missions and long-term plans for manned flights to Mars. However, the incident on the ISS reminds that the greatest challenges often lie in daily operations. Vital systems must function around the clock, small material defects must be detected early, and repairs carried out under difficult conditions.
Especially for future long-duration missions, such incidents provide important insights. The further astronauts move away from Earth, the less they can hope for quick outside help.
The experiences with ISS leaks therefore help to make future spacecraft and space stations more robust. The current incident is primarily a reminder that manned spaceflight consists not only of spectacular goals, but also of continuous maintenance, precaution, and safety work.
'On the ISS, daily research is conducted that is important on Earth,' says expert Wörner. The incident teaches that redundancy is important not only for individual elements but also for entire systems. 'Therefore, work on the successor to the station must be carried out quickly.' A relocation from the ISS to the Chinese space station 'Tiangong' (Heavenly Palace) as once in the space thriller 'Gravity' is technically - and politically - unfortunately not possible.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:260607-930-185557/1
