Cracks in the Russian part of the International Space Station (ISS) for several years have been a source of small, but constant air leaks, because of which PrK is the vestibule of the "Zvezda" service module, which connects the docking port to the rest of the station - was hermetically sealed off from the rest of the station, when it was not in use. Recent efforts by Russian cosmonauts on the ISS to apply sealant to cracks, looks like, stopped the leaks, however, this does not mean, that the problem is solved.
29 April 2026 year at a meeting of the Advisory Board of the International Space Station (ISS) its chairman Bob Cabana said, that the reason for the appearance of cracks in PrK remains a subject of investigation. Kabana reported, that his committee met in March in Houston with Russian colleagues from the Roscosmos Advisory Board of Experts to discuss the status of the station, with particular emphasis on cracks in the PrK. The Joint Commission observed, that NASA and Roskosmos specialists have made significant progress in studying the problem, and identified two potential causes of cracks: very high cycle fatigue from pump vibrations or environmental corrosion cracking. As of today, testing and analysis is ongoing.
The commission also reviewed the planning of the descent of the ISS from orbit, including backup options just in case, unless the American Deorbit Vehicle is available. NASA офіційно планує виведення МКС з експлуатації у 2030 year, але законопроєкт Сенату передбачає продовження повноважень NASA щодо експлуатації станції до 2032 year. За словами Кабани, багатостороння контрольна рада станції «висловила бажання, щоб рішення партнерських агентств щодо сходження МКС з орбіти або продовження її роботи було ухвалене до кінця 2026 year », щоб розпочати координацію державних схвалень і закупівлю необхідних транспортних засобів.
Source: https://spacenews.com