Latest news with #Zvezda
Gizmodo
3 hours ago
- Science
- Gizmodo
The Space Station's Russian Segment Won't Stop Leaking Air
A pesky air leak on the International Space Station (ISS) just won't quit. Although the crew hoped they had sealed the last crack on the Russian module, long-term observations revealed that the ISS is still leaking air. During a recent press conference, a Roscosmos official told reporters that recent attempts to fix the leak have slowed down the rate of air leaving the space station but that it's not yet completely sealed. 'The leak is ongoing,' Russian news agency TASS reported. 'We continue our efforts to find and fix it, with the recent repairs having seriously reduced the rate of air leakage,' Sergey Krikalyov, the executive director of manned space programs at Roscosmos, told reporters on Wednesday. 'For some time we even thought that we had found the last crack and sealed it, though long-term observations have shown that it continues.' Roscosmos first reported the leak in September 2019, tracing it to the vestibule (named PrK) that connects a docking port to the Russian Zvezda module, which the space agency had launched to low Earth orbit in July 2000. Over the past six years, the rate at which the air is leaking doubled from one pound a day to a little over two pounds a day, according to a report released in 2024. That led NASA to elevate the leak to the highest level of risk. At the time, it was reported that NASA and Roscosmos could not agree on the root cause of the leak or a way to fix it. Later in June, things seemed a bit more promising. NASA postponed the launch of the private Axiom 4 mission to the ISS, which was originally scheduled for June 11, citing a new pressure signal in the Zvezda module. NASA explained that the pressure signal, or a change in airflow or cabin pressure picked up by sensors, may be a sign that the leaks have been sealed following recent attempts to repair it. As it turns out, this is one tough leak to seal. Roscosmos, however, is not giving up. 'It is important for all of us to make sure that such situations do not arise at future stations,' Krikalyov said. If necessary, the space agencies could agree to permanently shut off the hatch to the Russian module. Without access to Zvezda, the ISS would operate normally except there would be one less docking port for spacecraft delivering cargo to the crew.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
8.8-magnitude quake jolts Russia's far east
This image courtesy of the US Geological Survey shows the epicenter of the earthquake. Photo: AFP One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's sparsely populated Far East on Wednesday, causing tsunamis up to four metres (12 feet) high across the Pacific and sparking evacuations from Hawaii to Japan. The magnitude 8.8 quake struck off Petropavlovsk on Russia's Kamchatka peninsula and was the largest since 2011 when one of magnitude 9.1 off Japan caused a tsunami that killed more than 15,000 people. Almost two million people in Japan were told to head to higher ground and tsunami warnings were issued across the region, before being rescinded or downgraded -- though scientists warned of the danger of powerful aftershocks. While the immediate area around the quake seemed to have been spared, people on the other side of the Pacific were gearing up for the impact of a tsunami expected to hit overnight. Ecuador's Galapagos Islands off the west coast of South America closed visitor sites and schools, ushering tourists to dry land as a precaution. "The boats haven't gone out to fish," said a fisherwoman in Puerto Ayora on the islands who did not want to be named. "We've been warned through the loudspeakers that it's best not to approach the coastline." In Russia's far east, a tsunami flooded the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, crashing through the port area and submerging the local fishing plant, officials said. Russian state television footage showed it sweep buildings and debris into the sea. Authorities said the population of around 2,000 people had been evacuated. The waves reached as far as the town's World War II monument about 400 metres from the shoreline, said Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov. Several people were injured in Russia by the quake, state media reported, but none seriously. "The walls were shaking," a Kamchatka resident told state media Zvezda. "It's good that we packed a suitcase, there was one with water and clothes near the door. We quickly grabbed it and ran out... It was very scary," she said. Later Wednesday, the authorities in the Kamchatka peninsula announced the tsunami warning had been lifted. Officials from countries with a Pacific coastline in North and South America — including the United States, Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia — issued warnings to avoid threatened beaches and low-lying areas.
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Many tsunami warnings downgraded or lifted after mega-quake off Russian coast
Ecuador's Galapagos Islands off the west coast of South America closed visitor sites and schools, ushering tourists to dry land as a precaution. 'The boats haven't gone out to fish,' said a fisherwoman in Puerto Ayora on the islands who did not want to be named. 'We've been warned through the loudspeakers that it's best not to approach the coastline.' In Russia's far east, a tsunami flooded the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, crashing through the port area and submerging the local fishing plant, officials said. Russian state television footage showed it sweep buildings and debris into the sea. Authorities said the population of around 2000 people had been evacuated. The waves reached as far as the town's World War II monument about 400m from the shoreline, said Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov. Several people were injured in Russia by the quake, state media reported, but none seriously. 'The walls were shaking,' a Kamchatka resident told state media Zvezda. 'It's good that we packed a suitcase, there was one with water and clothes near the door. We quickly grabbed it and ran out... It was very scary,' she said. Later Wednesday, authorities in the Kamchatka peninsula announced the tsunami warning had been lifted. Millions advised to flee Officials from countries with a Pacific coastline in North and South America – including the United States, Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia – issued warnings to avoid threatened beaches and low-lying areas. In Japan, nearly two million people were advised to evacuate, and many left by car or on foot to higher ground. One woman was killed as she drove her car off a cliff as she tried to escape, local media reported. A 1.3m high tsunami reached a port in the northern prefecture of Iwate, Japan's weather agency said. By Wednesday evening, the agency had downgraded its tsunami alerts – issued for much of the archipelago – to advisories. In Hawaii, Governor Josh Green said flights in and out of the island of Maui had been cancelled as a precaution. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later downgraded the alert for Hawaii to an advisory and local authorities cancelled a coastal evacuation order. Earlier, tsunami sirens blared near Hawaii's popular Waikiki surf beach where an AFP photographer saw gridlocked traffic as Hawaiians escaped to higher ground. 'STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!' US President Donald Trump said on social media. Pacific alerts Wednesday's quake was the strongest in the Kamchatka region since 1952, the regional seismic monitoring service said, warning of aftershocks of up to 7.5 magnitude. The USGS said the quake was one of the 10 strongest tremors ever recorded. The quake was followed by at least six aftershocks that further rattled the Russian far east, including one of 6.9 magnitude. The US Tsunami Warning Centers said waves exceeding 3m above the tide level were possible along some coasts of Ecuador, northwestern Hawaiian islands and Russia. Between 1m and 3m waves were possible along some coasts of Chile, Costa Rica, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Japan and other islands in the Pacific, it added. Waves of up to 1m were possible elsewhere, including Australia, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand, Tonga and Taiwan. Fukushima evacuated At Inage Beach in Chiba prefecture in Japan, officials have set up a security perimeter. One rescue worker told AFP the seaside area was off limits until further notice. The Fukushima nuclear plant in northeast Japan – destroyed by a huge quake and tsunami in 2011 – was evacuated, its operator said. In Taitung in Taiwan, hotel resort worker Wilson Wang, 31, told AFP: 'We've advised guests to stay safe and not go out, and to avoid going to the coast.' Pacific nation Palau, about 800km east of the Philippines, ordered the evacuation of 'all areas along the coastline'. Waves of up to 4m are expected overnight in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia, authorities said in a press statement. - Agence France-Presse
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Climate
- RTÉ News
Pacific tsunami warnings downgraded after evacuations from Hawaii to Japan
One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's sparsely populated Far East today, causing tsunamis up to four metres high across the Pacific and sparking evacuations from Hawaii to Japan. The magnitude 8.8 quake struck off Petropavlovsk on Russia's Kamchatka peninsula, and was the largest since 2011 when one of magnitude 9.1 off Japan caused a tsunami that killed more than 15,000 people. Almost two million people in Japan were told to head to higher ground, and tsunami warnings were issued across the region, before being rescinded or downgraded, though scientists warned of the danger of powerful aftershocks. A tsunami had already hit and flooded the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, crashing through the port area and submerging the local fishing plant, officials said. Russian state television footage showed it sweep buildings and debris into the sea. Authorities said the population of around 2,000 people had been evacuated. The waves reached as far as the town's World War II monument, about 400m from the shoreline, said Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov. Several people were injured in Russia by the quake, state media reported, but none seriously. "The walls were shaking," a Kamchatka resident told state media Zvezda. "It's good that we packed a suitcase, there was one with water and clothes near the door. We quickly grabbed it and ran out... It was very scary," she said. Later today, the authorities in the Kamchatka peninsula announced the tsunami warning had been lifted. Large waves hit Hokkaido coastline as Japan issues tsunami warning Millions advised to flee Officials from countries with a Pacific coastline in North and South America - including the United States, Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia - issued warnings to avoid threatened beaches and low-lying areas. In Japan, nearly two million people were advised to evacuate, and many left by car or on foot to higher ground. One woman was killed as she drove her car off a cliff as she tried to escape, local media reported. A 1.3m high tsunami reached a port in the northern prefecture of Iwate, Japan's weather agency said. By this evening, the agency had downgraded its tsunami alerts, issued for much of the archipelago, to advisories. In Hawaii, Governor Josh Green said flights in and out of the island of Maui had been cancelled as a precaution. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later downgraded the alert for Hawaii to an advisory, and local authorities cancelled a coastal evacuation order. Earlier, tsunami sirens blared near Hawaii's popular Waikiki surf beach, where an AFP photographer saw gridlocked traffic as Hawaiians escaped to higher ground. "STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!" US President Donald Trump said on social media. Pacific alerts Today's quake was the strongest in the Kamchatka region since 1952, the regional seismic monitoring service said, warning of aftershocks of up to 7.5 magnitude. The epicentre is in roughly the same location as a 9.0 magnitude quake that year that caused a Pacific-wide tsunami, according to the USGS. The organisation said today's was one of the 10 strongest earthquakes ever recorded. The quake was followed by at least six aftershocks that further rattled the Russian Far East, including one of 6.9 magnitude. The US Tsunami Warning Centers said waves exceeding three metres above the tide level were possible along some coasts of Ecuador, northwestern Hawaiian islands and Russia. Between one and three metre waves were possible along some coasts of Chile, Costa Rica, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Japan and other islands in the Pacific, it added. Waves of up to one metre were possible elsewhere, including Australia, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand, Tonga and Taiwan. Fukushima evacuated At Inage Beach in Chiba prefecture in Japan, officials have set up a security perimeter. One rescue worker said the seaside area was off limits until further notice. The stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in northeast Japan - destroyed by a huge quake and tsunami in 2011 - was evacuated, its operator said. In Taitung in Taiwan, hotel resort worker Wilson Wang, 31, said: "We've advised guests to stay safe and not go out, and to avoid going to the coast." Pacific nation Palau, about 800km east of the Philippines, ordered the evacuation of "all areas along the coastline".
Nahar Net
a day ago
- Climate
- Nahar Net
Huge quake off Russia sparks Pacific tsunamis
by Naharnet Newsdesk 30 July 2025, 12:56 One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's sparsely populated Far East on Wednesday, causing tsunamis up to four meters (12 feet) high across the Pacific and sparking evacuations from Hawaii to Japan. The magnitude 8.8 quake struck off Petropavlovsk on Russia's remote Kamchatka peninsula, and was the largest since 2011 when one of magnitude 9.1 off Japan and a subsequent tsunami killed more than 15,000 people. Russian authorities said a tsunami hit and flooded the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, crashing through the port area and submerging the local fishing plant. Authorities said the population of around 2,000 people was evacuated. The waves -- which were up to four meters high in some areas -- reached as far as the town's World War II monument about 400 meters from the shore line, according to Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov. Several people were injured in Russia by the quake, state media reported, but none seriously. "The walls were shaking," a Kamchatka resident told state media Zvezda. "It's good that we packed a suitcase, there was one with water and clothes near the door. We quickly grabbed it and ran out... It was very scary," she said. - Millions advised to evacuate - Officials from countries with a Pacific coastline in North and South America -- including the United States, Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia -- issued warnings to avoid threatened beaches and low-lying areas. In Japan, nearly two million people were advised to evacuate, and many left by car or on foot to higher ground. One woman was killed as she drove her car off a cliff as she tried to evacuate, local media reported. A 1.3-metre high tsunami reached a port in the northern prefecture of Iwate, Japan's weather agency said. In Hawaii, governor Josh Green said flights in and out of the island of Maui had been cancelled as a precaution. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later downgraded the alert for Hawaii to an advisory. Earlier, tsunami sirens blared near Hawaii's popular Waikiki surf beach where an AFP photographer saw gridlocked traffic as Hawaiians escaped to higher ground. "STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!" US President Donald Trump said on social media. - Pacific alerts - Wednesday's quake was the strongest in the Kamchatka region since 1952, the regional seismic monitoring service said, warning of aftershocks of up to 7.5 magnitude. The epicenter is roughly the same as the massive 9.0 quake that year which resulted in a destructive, Pacific-wide tsunami, according to the USGS. The organization said it was one of the 10 strongest earthquakes ever recorded. On Wednesday at least six aftershocks further rattled the Russian Far East, including one of 6.9 magnitude and another listed at 6.3. The US Tsunami Warning Centers said waves exceeding three meters above the tide level were possible along some coasts of Ecuador, northwestern Hawaiian islands and Russia. Between one- and three-meter waves were possible along some coasts of Chile, Costa Rica, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Japan and other islands in the Pacific, it said. Waves of up to one meter were possible elsewhere, including Australia, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand, Tonga and Taiwan. - Fukushima evacuated - At Inage Beach in Chiba prefecture in Japan, a security perimeter was set up, and a rescue worker told AFP that the seaside area was off limits until further notice. "I didn't expect there to be a tsunami; I actually made a joke about it when we heard (the alert)," Canadian tourist Leana Lussier, 17, told AFP. Workers at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in northeast Japan -- destroyed by a huge quake and tsunami in 2011 -- were evacuated, its operator said. In Taitung in Taiwan, hotel resort worker Wilson Wang, 31, told AFP: "We've advised guests to stay safe and not go out, and to avoid going to the coast." Pacific nation Palau, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of the Philippines, ordered the evacuation of "all areas along the coastline."
