For many years, both NASA and its Russian counterpart Roscosmos have struggled to contain persistent leaks plaguing the International Space Station. The aging orbital output has been through two decades of continuous habitation, and it\u2019s really starting to show its age.<\/p>\n
In particular, a short tunnel section dubbed PrK, which connects the Russian Zvezda module to the station\u2019s aft docking port, has been leaking air on and off since at least 2019<\/a>, alarming officials.<\/p>\n The situation once again came to a head on June 5<\/a>, when NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens noted<\/a> in an update that five astronauts would be taking shelter in a docked Dragon spacecraft \u201cout of an abundance of caution\u201d due to Russia\u2019s \u201cmitigation measures\u201d to repair \u201ccracks.\u201d<\/p>\n Both NASA and Roscosmos have been quiet about what exactly occurred that day. But according to officials, who have since spoken to <\/a>Ars Technica<\/a> and The Register<\/a> on condition of anonymity, Roscosmos was looking to take drastic measures to fix the leak \u2014 which had NASA rattled.<\/p>\n Tensions flared as both agencies butted heads over what to do, highlighting an international relationship that hasn\u2019t always fostered peaceful cooperation in space.<\/p>\n According to The Register, one initial plan involved a handsaw, while another involved a \u201cdrill\u201d and a \u201cdrill stop,\u201d a device designed to punch a hole all the way through the wall of the module, per Ars.<\/p>\n \u201cWe threatened we would put astronauts in suits, in Dragon, to send a message to the world that we disagreed,\u201d one NASA official told Ars. \u201cThey didn\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n The situation escalated even further, with cosmonauts approaching the \u201cPrK module with a saw and the intent to remove a load-bearing bracket,\u201d according to Ars\u2018 sourcing.<\/p>\n After communications broke down between the two agencies, NASA decided to play it safe, directing all four crew members of the Crew-12 mission, as well as NASA astronaut Chris Williams, who had arrived at the station on board a Soyuz capsule in November, to shelter inside the Dragon spacecraft.<\/p>\n \u201cWe felt there was a very high probability of a bad outcome happening if they sawed that bracket off,\u201d a NASA source told Ars.<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s drastic decision to have its astronauts shelter in place was reportedly enough to convince Roscosmos to stand down.<\/p>\n The implications of the tesnse incident could be significant for the ISS. According to Ars, the PrK module will be decommissioned and no longer pressurized until that happens, which could greatly limit the use of its attached dock.<\/p>\n Whether that will be the end of the years-long debate over how to address the risk of a leak \u2014 or worse, a sudden depressurization \u2014 remains to be seen.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, yeah, worst case, you could seal it off,\u201d ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen told The Register in 2024<\/a>, referring to the PrK module, \u201cand I think the Space Station could continue.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut of course, you never know what other problems might arise,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n