Early this morning, NASA announced the International Space Station — one of the most expensive and complex structures ever built — is slowly leaking air out of minuscule hole just 2 millimeters wide. Although the astronauts aboard are not currently in danger, this is the first time the nearly 20-year-old orbiting laboratory has experienced any potentially hazardous damage.
Flight controllers first recognized the leak on Wednesday night at about 7 p.m. EDT, but they determined it was so small it posed no immediate threat to the six astronauts aboard the station, opting to let them sleep as normal. When the crew awoke this morning, mission controllers both in Houston and outside of Moscow attempted to pinpoint the leak. All six astronauts joined in the hunt, closing off individual modules within the station to better locate the source. After an extensive search, the crew traced the leak back to the crew ...
