The ongoing air leak on the International Space Station (ISS) has intensified, with recent reports indicating that the leak rate has increased from one pound of air daily to two pounds. This escalation prompted NASA to order crew members to seek shelter inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on June 5, while Russian cosmonauts prepared to cut into the Zvezda module’s transfer tunnel to address the issue.
Initially detected in September 2019, the leak has been linked to the vestibule (PrK) that connects a docking port to the Zvezda module. NASA provided an update detailing a plan from Roscosmos that involved using a saw to access potential leak areas, raising safety concerns regarding the structural integrity of the station. However, the Russian space agency has now suspended this plan to gather more data and conduct further inspections.
Roscosmos has identified new areas of concern and will assess previous sealant applications before determining next steps. NASA officials expressed support for this decision, indicating relief at the postponement of the aggressive repair attempts.