Overview
- A persistent air leak in the PrK transfer tunnel of Russia’s Zvezda module, tracked since 2019, rose to about two pounds of air per day during Progress 95 cargo operations the week of June 1.
- Roscosmos had prepared a more intrusive inspection that would cut a bracket to reach a suspected crack, a method NASA said could raise structural risk.
- As a precaution on June 5, NASA ordered five crew members into the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon as a safe‑haven; they returned to normal duties after Roscosmos paused the bracket work.
- Roscosmos reported sealing one of two suspected cracks but said the overall leak persists while teams collect further measurements and inspect prior sealant locations.
- The episode highlights partner disagreements over acceptable repair methods for aging ISS hardware and raises the prospect of more limited fixes, module isolation, or other operational shifts before the planned 2030 retirement.