For seven years, tiny cracks in the International Space Station (ISS) have been leaking air. NASA and its Russian counterpart, Roscosmos, have deliberated over ways to fix the air leaks, but nothing seems to work. After a risky plan prompted the ISS astronauts to seek emergency refuge, Russia’s space agency may finally throw in the towel. Roscosmos first reported a leak on board the ISS in September 2019, tracing it to the vestibule (named PrK) that connects a docking port to the Russian Zvezda module. Russian cosmonauts have made several attempts to seal the leak, but air continues to escape the space station at a growing rate. The situation escalated on June 5 when NASA ordered its five crew members to shelter in place as Russia prepared to attempt a risky repair: cutting away a load-bearing bracket with a saw. Roscosmos later postponed the operation, allowing the astronauts to return safely to the ISS.
Since then, ongoing deliberations between NASA and Roscosmos suggest Russia has decided to decommission the PrK module altogether, according to a report by Ars Technica. The leak that won’t quit The persistent air leak poses a major safety risk to the structure of the space station and the safety of the astronauts on board. Over the 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.
