Russia says International Space Station could suffer “irreparable failures”

A Russian official has warned that the International Space Station is in a bad state and could even suffer “irreparable failures”

The International Space Station could be facing “irreparable failures” due to outdated equipment and hardware, says a Russian official.

The official says at least 80 percent of the equipment onboard has passed its expiry date, with small cracks also prominent on the spacecraft.

Russia, America, Canada, Japan and some European nations constructed the ISS in 1998. They originally designed the station for 15 years of use.

In response to the findings, Russia says it may leave the ISS by 2025 entirely over safety concerns

The developer of Russia’s section in the ISS says “literally a day after the in-flight systems are fully exhausted, irreparable failures may begin.”

This all follows Russia’s deputy prime minister telling state media in April that the ageing metal on the Space Station could lead to “irreversible consequences” and “catastrophe”.

He warned world leaders, “we must not let that happen”.