Space station deputy programme manager Kenny Todd said the good news is that “instead of a bunch of haystacks, we’re down to maybe one haystack”.
But he added: “It’s still a needle we’re looking for.”
Nasa is sending up extra air supply tanks on its next space station delivery, scheduled for a Thursday departure from Virginia. As long as the leak does not worsen, Mr Todd said, the space station should be fine through to next spring.
In two weeks, two Russians and an American are scheduled to arrive at the space station, followed by crew of three Americans and a Japanese on SpaceX’s second launch of astronauts, now targeted for October 31.
During a news conference from Houston, Nasa astronaut Mike Hopkins, the commander, announced that the SpaceX capsule would be called Resilience — to reflect how the world is coping with this year’s challenges.
“We hope that it brings a smile to your face and we hope that it provides something positive in your lives. Quite frankly, we hope that it’s an inspiration,” Mr Hopkins said of the name and the mission.
