What’s New
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has dismissed rumors of a “catastrophic failure” aboard the International Space Station (ISS) after an anonymous post gained traction online.
Newsweek has contacted NASA for comment via email outside of standard working hours.
Why It Matters
The ISS is a large, habitable spacecraft that orbits the Earth and serves as a space environment research laboratory.
The ISS is arguably one of the most significant examples of international space cooperation, with contributions from multiple countries.
Any major issue with the ISS represents risks for astronauts on board the spacecraft as well as consequences for ongoing research.
What To Know
Originating on 4Chan, an anonymous imageboard, the post, which seems to have been written by a self-described “FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) anon (anonymous poster)” said that a “major structural crack” had been detected on the orbital facility.
“We got a briefing this morning: major structural crack detected,” the post, which was also shared on Reddit, read.
“Not some hairline b*******, we’re talking catastrophic failure levels.”
It said that a “chain reaction” had begun and that “deorbit is happening, uncontrolled.”
What People Are Saying
Responding to the rumors on X (formerly Twitter), NASA said the ISS “continues to orbit the Earth as planned, and the crew aboard is safe.”
The organization provided a link to a live space station tracking map, which allows for the tracking of the ISS’s current path.
One user who shared a screenshot of the 4Chan post on X received a community note—a mechanism on the platform that allows users to fact-check others—which said: “This is not true.
“There has been no confirmation of any sort of damage to the ISS by NASA or Roscosmos. There are also no indications of any major orbital changes taking place, that would be expected with such a failure.”
Newsweek has contacted FEMA for comment via email outside of standard working hours.
What Happens Next
The ISS is expected to remain operational until 2030, after which plans for private space stations and other orbital platforms are being developed.
On Tuesday, two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck in space for months, received news of a new mission extension, which means the pair won’t return to Earth until Spring.
The test pilots were to originally spend eight days aboard the ISS in June, but this grew to eight months after NASA decided to bring Boeing’s faulty Starliner capsule back to Earth without a crew in September.
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