A leak of vital air continues at the International Space Station (ISS). Despite the crew’s hopes that the latest crack in the Russian Zvezda module has finally been repaired, prolonged observations confirm that the station is still losing precious air supplies. 

Roscosmos notes that after repairing the hull, the team believed the problem had been solved, but further data dispelled these hopes. The repairs only slowed down the air leak, but did not stop it completely.

The history of the hole

The air leak from the ISS was first detected in September 2019. Its source is located in the airlock connecting the docking node with the main body of the Zvezda module. Over the past six years, the situation has deteriorated significantly: the rate of air loss has roughly doubled, from around 0.45 kg to almost 0.9 kg per day. This growth caused NASA to raise the risk level to maximum.

An important obstacle to resolving the problem remains the dispute between NASA and Roscosmos regarding the root cause of the leak and the best way to fix it. Even the encouraging sign in June — a change in pressure that could have indicated the leak had stopped after certain manipulations — turned out to be false. 

Possible solutions to fix the problem

As a radical solution, space agencies are considering permanently closing the hatch leading to the Zvezda module. If this happens, the ISS will be able to continue operating as normal, and the air leak will indeed stop, but one docking port for cargo or manned spacecraft will be lost, which will be a significant operational limitation.

For now, the crew and ground services continue to search for the elusive “wound” on the space station, trying to maintain the airtightness of the key segment of the ISS in the face of an unpredictable challenge.

We previously reported that astronauts on the ISS complained about the terrible smell coming from the Russian Poisk module.

• According to Gizmodo

NASA specialists have found a way to enable the Curiosity rover to perform several tasks simultaneously. This will allow for maximum efficiency in using its energy source and extend its service life.

Curiosity’s energy budget

Curiosity recently reached a region filled with cell-like formations. These hardened ridges are believed to have been created by underground waters billions of years ago. Spanning many kilometers in this part of Mount Sharp, these formations may shed light on whether hypothetical microbial life could have survived in the depths of Mars billions of years ago, extending the planet’s habitability until it began to dry out. 

Performing this detective work requires a great deal of energy. In addition to moving and extending its robotic arm to study rocks and boulders, Curiosity is equipped with a variety of scientific instruments and heaters that require power.

Other NASA missions, such as the Spirit and Opportunity rovers and the InSight lander, relied on solar panels to recharge their batteries. However, this technology always carries the risk of insufficient sunlight. Therefore, engineers equipped Curiosity with a radioisotope generator (RITEG). Thanks to this, the rover is not affected by changes in lighting conditions. The downside is that because plutonium decays over time, charging Curiosity’s batteries takes longer each year, leaving less energy for scientific research.

More effective science

NASA engineers generally send Curiosity a list of tasks to complete one by one before the rover ends its day and takes a break to recharge. In 2021, the team began investigating whether it would be safe to combine two or three of the rover’s tasks, thereby reducing its active time.

For example, the Curiosity radio regularly sends data and images to a passing orbital spacecraft, which transmits them to Earth. Can the Mars rover communicate with the orbital spacecraft while moving, shifting its robotic manipulator, or taking images? Combining tasks can shorten each day’s plan, requiring less time with heaters and equipment turned on and ready for use, which reduces energy consumption. Testing has shown that Curiosity is capable of doing all this safely.

Another technique is to allow Curiosity to decide when it needs to rest if it finishes its tasks early. Engineers always overestimate the duration of daily activities in case of unforeseen circumstances. Now, if Curiosity completes these actions ahead of schedule, it will go to sleep earlier.

By allowing the rover to manage its own rest time, it is possible to reduce the charging time before the next day’s schedule. Even actions that reduce the time required to complete a single task by just 10 or 20 minutes can have a significant long-term effect, maximizing the service life of the RITEG for further scientific research and exploration. 

A lot remains to be done

Engineers are implementing new features in Curiosity based on their experience operating it. Several mechanical issues required a redesign of the sample collection method using a drill bit mounted on a robotic arm, and movement capabilities were improved through software updates. When the color filter stopped rotating on one of the two cameras mounted on Mastcam, Curiosity’s rotating “head,” the team devised a workaround that allowed them to capture the same beautiful panoramas. 

NASA has also developed an algorithm to reduce damage to Curiosity’s wheels, which are worn down from hitting rocks. Although engineers are closely monitoring any new damage, they are not concerned. After 35 kilometers of driving and extensive research, it became clear that, despite wear and tear, the wheels are capable of serving for many more years. In combination, these measures allow Curiosity to operate as actively as before.

• According to JPL

The Perseverance rover has discovered unusual formations that are almost perfectly spherical in shape. According to scientists, they were formed as a result of the cooling of molten material.

Spherical particles are not what you would expect to find in Martian soil. However, two decades ago, the Opportunity rover discovered spherical hematite formations (unofficially nicknamed “blueberries”) near its landing site on the Meridiani Plateau.

Now, the Perseverance rover has also managed to detect spherical particles. The discovery was made in an area unofficially named Witch Hazel Hill. Spherical formations are embedded in the bedrock and scattered throughout the area. Perseverance studied them by taking a series of images and measuring their elemental composition.

Despite their external similarity to “blueberries,” these spherical particles have a completely different composition and, probably, origin. The fragments found by Opportunity consisted of hematite minerals, and they’re thought to have formed in groundwater-rich sediments way back in Mars’ past.

For comparison, these spherical particles are composed of basalt and were probably formed as a result of a meteorite impact or volcanic eruption. When a meteorite hits the surface of Mars, it can melt rock and spray droplets of molten rock into the air. These droplets can cool quickly, solidify into spherical particles, and fall as rain onto the surrounding area. Alternatively, spherical particles could have formed from molten lava during the eruption.

The Perseverance team intends to continue searching for answers to the question of the origin of these spherical particles. If they were formed as a result of an ancient impact, they can tell us about the composition of the impactor and shed light on the formation of craters in the early history of Mars. If they were caused by a volcanic eruption, they may preserve traces of past volcanic activity in the area around Jezero crater. In any case, these spherical particles are a reminder of a dynamic period in the distant past of the Red Planet.

Earlier, we reported on how Perseverance encountered a stubborn rock during its “battle.”

• According to NASA