Overview
- The PrK vestibule in Russia’s Zvezda module has leaked since 2019 and leak rates roughly doubled by 2024, a problem NASA’s inspector general calls a top safety risk.
- Tensions peaked when Roscosmos planned to cut a load‑bearing bracket during a repair and NASA ordered five astronauts into a docked SpaceX Dragon as a precaution on June 5, after which Roscosmos stood down.
- Russian officials are now reported to be considering decommissioning the PrK hatch, a move that would isolate the leak and reduce air loss but permanently close that internal docking passage.
- Sealing the PrK would force logistics changes because visiting vehicles would have to use other Russian ports and some reboost and propellant tasks could shift to U.S. vehicles such as a modified Cargo Dragon.
- The episode highlights aging hardware and fraying U.S.‑Russia operational trust on the ISS and raises questions about sustainment choices as partners plan the station’s end of life.