The International Space Station should be evacuated IMMEDIATELY: Expert warns leaving it too late 'could lead to a disaster that would kill not only the astronauts, but also NASA's reputation'

NASA's astronauts should evacuate nan International Space Station (ISS) instantly to debar a fatal disaster, a abstraction master has warned. 

Nick Pope, a erstwhile civilian servant who erstwhile ran nan British Government's UFO project, told MailOnline that nan abstraction agency's 'wait-and-see' cognition could person devastating consequences.

'Leaving it excessively precocious could lead to a disaster that would termination not only nan astronauts, but besides NASA's reputation,' he said. 

His informing comes arsenic NASA revealed it is search 50 'areas of concern' related to a increasing leak connected nan Russian broadside of nan ISS.  

American astronauts person been instructed to hold adjacent nan flight hatch successful lawsuit of an emergency removal whenever nan hatch to nan leaky conception is open.

NASA has now promoted nan leak to a 'top information risk'. 

However, it insists that its astronauts will stay aboard nan station.

But arsenic NASA and its Russian counterpart, Roscomos, neglect to spot aliases moreover find nan leak location are now increasing concerns complete nan information of nan ISS.

The leak was first detected successful 2019 successful nan Russian Zvezda Service Module Transfer Tunnel which provides position surviving quarters, life support systems, electrical powerfulness distribution and information processing, formation power and propulsion systems.

However, contempt nan abstraction agencies covering imaginable cracks pinch 'a operation of sealant and patches' nan leak has only grown faster successful caller years.

In February, NASA was forced to clasp a property convention connected nan rumor arsenic nan magnitude of aerial escaping temporarily accrued from 0.2 lbs per time (0.09 kg) to 2.4 lbs (1.08 kg) per day.

The leak past deed grounds rates successful April, losing 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg) of aerial each time according to a study from NASA's Office of nan Inspector General (OIG).

As nan leak continues to grow, nan business was declared a 'top information risk' this September and escalated to nan highest level connected NASA's consequence scale.

NASA officials opportunity they person reached a woody pinch Roscomos to only unfastened nan hatch to nan leaking conception erstwhile basal and to support it sealed during nan evenings.

Whenever nan hatch is open, NASA has instructed each astronauts to stay connected nan American broadside of nan position truthful they tin beryllium nearer to their spacecraft successful lawsuit of an emergency.

However, Mr Pope says that this has put NASA successful a 'tight spot'.

He says: 'Evacuating nan ISS excessively soon will summation nan spread betwixt NASA and Elon Musk and make NASA look for illustration a declining force, but leaving it excessively precocious could lead to a disaster.'

While NASA maintains that nan Zvezda module's hatch remains closed arsenic overmuch arsenic possible, if nan leaks go terrible the position could quickly suffer unit and oxygen.

In nan lawsuit of specified an emergency, each astronauts would request to climb aboard their assigned 'lifeboats' docked pinch nan station.

The capsules person been stocked pinch emergency suits, allowing nan unit to quickly put connected nan due cogwheel arsenic they fly nan orbiting laboratory, redeeming much valuable time.

NASA's Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich said that successful nan arena of an emergency, SpaceX's Dragon could beryllium powered up wrong minutes.

However, nan abstraction agency has besides admitted that nan ISS is not sufficiently prepared for capsule failures which could time off immoderate astronauts stranded.

The OIG study says: 'Due to nan precocious costs and a constricted budget, nan deficiency of ready-to-launch vehicles forestall nan Agency from having an contiguous consequence capacity if unit vehicles brushwood important harm and are nary longer safe for unit evacuation.'

In nan arena of an effect from a micrometeor aliases portion of abstraction debris, this could lead to a business successful which astronauts person nary measurement of fleeing nan damaged station.

NASA says that an effect of this benignant could origin 'serious harm aliases catastrophic failure, and tin beryllium a threat to astronauts'.

However, owed to nan costs of performing upgrades successful space, NASA has said it will not supply immoderate further shielding to protect nan position from objects larger than 3cm.

Mr Pope adds: 'Space is inherently vulnerable and nan abstraction programme carries pinch it a grade of risk. But pinch lives astatine stake, a wait-and-see action has higher consequences.'

However, not each experts are convinced that nan Zvezda module leak is apt to lead to catastrophic failure.

Dr Simeon Barber, a abstraction intelligence astatine The Open University, told MailOnline: 'Although this is seen arsenic a precocious privilege rumor to resolve, it is not putting astronauts successful contiguous danger.'

By closing nan hatch to Zvezda, nan leak tin beryllium contained nary matter really accelerated it becomes.

'The problem is that if nan leak gets excessively bad, they mightiness person to time off nan hatch permanently closed, meaning nan docking ports beyond nan hatch can’t beryllium used,' says Dr Barber. 

Although this would make resupplying nan abstraction position much difficult it would guarantee that nan position tin proceed functioning.

While this mightiness not beryllium a threat to quality life, experts opportunity that this could lead NASA to decommission nan position earlier than planned.

The ISS has already remained successful orbit for 10 years longer than primitively intended and its ageing systems are showing superior signs of wear.

If nan Zvezda module had to beryllium sealed, nan nonaccomplishment of aerial would mean nan position would request to beryllium resupplied much often conscionable arsenic doing truthful became much difficult.

Independent spaceflight information master Laura Forczyk told MailOnline: 'If nan leaks connected nan ISS worsen importantly to nan constituent where NASA and Russia reason nan business is unsafe, it whitethorn mean decommissioning nan ISS sooner than expected.'

NASA presently maintains that nan position remains safe and says it is moving pinch Roscomos to resoluteness nan rumor arsenic soon arsenic possible.

A NASA spokesperson told MailOnline: 'NASA and Roscosmos proceed to measure onboard and crushed trial information pinch nan superior extremity of identifying nan guidelines cause, gaining a amended knowing of nan consequence to position operations, and implementing repairs.'