I mean listen, as a layperson, I would definitely assume that anything leaking in space is a recipe for disaster.

I mean, we’ve all seen the movies.

The fact that the International Space Station has been leaking air for a while hasn’t seemed too concerning for those who are in charge of its safety and construction, though – at least, not until now.

Now, a NASA inspector is issuing a warning and hoping the money folks will listen.

In a new report issued by NASA’s inspector general, the leaks in a tunnel that connects the International Space Station’s Russian segment to a docking port has leaks that are growing into a large concern.

The worst part might be that they don’t know what caused them in the first place.

“Ongoing cracks and air leaks in the Service Module Transfer Tunnel are a top safety risk. And NASA and Roscosmos are collaborating to investigate and mitigate the cracks and leaks, determine the root cause, and monitor the Station for new leaks.”

The leaks were identified back in April and are releasing around 3.7 pounds of atmosphere a day. Two months earlier they were releasing under one pound.

“Although the root cause of the leak remains unknown both agencies have narrowed their focus to internal and external welds.”

Supply chain issues could present a challenging problem when it comes to repairs, and NASA was planning to keep it the ISS in operation until 2030.

NASA has upgraded solving the problem to its highest level of concern, because if they leaks continue, the hatch to the affected tunnel could need to be closed permanently.

“According to NASA, Roscosmos is confident they will be able to monitor and close the hatch to the Service Module prior to the leak rate reaching an untenable level. However, NASA and Roscosmos have not reached an agreement on the point at which the leak rate is untenable.”

The plan was get get SpaceX to help deorbit the station and crash it into the Pacific Ocean in 2030, but NASA and Russia have also not been able to reach an agreement on continuing operations past 2028.

They don’t have enough funding to make other options viable at the moment, but it’s clear something needs to be done.

When structure and components start aging in space, the time table to get it fixed is pretty short.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about a second giant hole has opened up on the sun’s surface. Here’s what it means.