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The international space station
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Space travelers on the ISS space station have been struggling with leaks in a Russian module for months.
Now during an inspection, cosmonauts discovered further cracks on another unit that is one of the oldest on the station.
He does not like the situation, said flight director Vladimir Solovyov of the Ria Novosti state agency.
The astronauts found the cracks when measuring the station in the module »Sarja« (Dawn).
The affected areas have not yet been broken open so that air could escape there.
But that could happen over time, said Solovyov.
The systems of the Russian ISS segment are "to a great extent" worn out.
In the "Zvezda" module, leaks had recently caused pressure drops at times.
The places have since been sealed.
In addition, the space travelers are looking for further cracks and holes in the station.
The Russian space agency Roskosmos had emphasized that there was no danger to the crew.
It was not until the end of July that a serious incident occurred in which the US space agency Nasa lost control of the station's position in space for almost an hour.
Due to a software error, the engines of the new multi-purpose module »Nauka« switched on unexpectedly shortly after its arrival at the ISS.
This set the entire ISS in motion with its seven crew members.
The engines of the module had fired "accidentally and unexpectedly" and thereby shifted the ISS by 45 degrees from its regular trajectory, announced the US space agency Nasa.
»Nauka« replaces a disused module on the Russian part that was recently sunk in the Pacific.
Consultations are currently ongoing between the countries participating in the ISS on the future of the space station.
The current cooperation agreement expires in 2024.
Russia is already planning its own space station, which should go into operation in 2028.
China is already building its "Tiangong" station.
In contrast to the ISS, international use of the station is probably not planned.
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