A stubborn vacuum‑age leak in the International Space Station’s PrK tunnel has once again pushed crew members into a Dragon capsule. Microscopic cracks that release air into space have plagued the station since 2019, and recent pressure drops doubled loss to nearly one kilogram per day, the highest safety risk NASA has catalogued for longer.

Roscosmos first flagged the leak in September 2019, but attempts to seal it with sealant and inspections in early 2024 only yielded a temporary calm. January data showed stable pressure, yet engineers doubted whether air escaped elsewhere. A fresh drop on May 1 forced a full‑scale repair, abandoning the patch‑work approach for the mission crew.

With the leak in the PrK, five crew members now shelter inside a sealed Dragon capsule, ready to undock within hours if pressure rises. Working inside the tunnel risks sudden acceleration of air loss; ground teams can only compensate slowly. The crew’s presence guarantees rapid evacuation should the cracks widen for the station's integrity and.

NASA’s decision to abandon ad‑hoc fixes underscores the complexity of micro‑gravity maintenance. The PrK tunnel’s thin walls and long exposure to radiation make crack growth inevitable. Engineers now plan a comprehensive repair using advanced epoxy composites and robotic assistance, aiming to restore airtight integrity before the next crew rotation. The station remains but vigilance persists.