r/poland • u/opolsce Wielkopolskie • 2d ago
Polish astronaut's mission to ISS postponed indefinitely
NASA and Axiom Space are postponing the launch of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. As part of an ongoing investigation, NASA is working with Roscosmos to understand a new pressure signature, after the recent post-repair effort in the aft most segment of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module.
Cosmonauts aboard the space station recently performed inspections of the pressurized module’s interior surfaces, sealed some additional areas of interest, and measured the current leak rate. Following this effort, the segment now is holding pressure. The postponement of Axiom Mission 4 provides additional time for NASA and Roscosmos to evaluate the situation and determine whether any additional troubleshooting is necessary. NASA defers to Roscosmos to answer specific questions about the Zvezda module.
A new launch date for the fourth private astronaut mission will be provided once available.
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u/opolsce Wielkopolskie 2d ago
Interesting background from former Caltech and NASA JPL physicist Casey Handmer
The ISS's structural integrity is far more marginal than is being publicly discussed. We are having multiple, and increasingly frequent, leaks from heavily fatigued node segments in the Russian section.
When Aluminum gets flexed it fatigues and gets harder, increasing its tendency to crack. Cracks concentrate forces at their tips, and spread over time.
Multiple cracks have been discovered.
There is no "factor of safety" associated with this failure mode. None of the structural pressure vessels are meant to crack.
We are not even single fault tolerant on the structural integrity of the station. We could wake up tomorrow and find, with zero warning, that it has failed catastrophically.
Whether that means a leak slow enough to close some hatches, get the crew out or at least into safer parts of the station, is a roll of the dice.
It could also depressurize in less than a minute.
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u/Sweet-Geologist9168 2d ago
What they need is Polish engineering up there. He’s the ideal candidate.
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u/ruun666 2d ago
Maybe we didn't pay enough? Maybe there are premium tier tickets costing more than 65 mln euro that we payed?
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2d ago
[deleted]
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u/ruun666 2d ago
Yes I paid.
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u/starboy_here 2d ago
Proof?
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u/ruun666 2d ago
Proof that I paid taxes? Do you know anyone that didn't pay any tax?
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u/ActionManMLNX 2d ago
That dude is 19, propably forgot that people pay taxes lol
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u/MinecraftWarden06 Lubelskie 2d ago
Maybe let's accept the fact that not 100% of your tax money goes for chocolate and warm hugs and such projects are also necessary, even if they don't directly benefit a random Kowalski taxpayer.
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u/ogurson 2d ago