Overview
- The leak was detected on May 1, 2026, and is allowing about one pound of air to escape per day from the PrK transfer tunnel on the Russian side of the station.
- NASA and Roscosmos have set the PrK area to lower pressure and perform small repressurizations as needed, and they say station operations are not currently affected.
- Seven crew members aboard the ISS — three NASA astronauts, one ESA astronaut and three Roscosmos cosmonauts — are following isolation and evacuation drills and routinely check their docked return vehicles.
- The fault dates to 2019 and has resisted repeated inspections and sealant repairs despite a June 2025 improvement and a January 2026 period officials called a 'stable configuration,' showing the problem can recur.
- Engineers use pressure monitoring, hatch isolation, ultrasonic locators and temporary patches to manage leaks, and the recurrence has sharpened debate over the station’s aging infrastructure and the planned 2030 retirement date and possible extension to 2032 or beyond.