Russia Decommissions ISS PrK Module After Air Leak Tops 2 Pounds a Day
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · Jun 17
Russia Decommissions ISS PrK Module After Air Leak Tops 2 Pounds a Day
3 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · Jun 17
Summary
Roscosmos has decided to shut the PrK vestibule on the ISS by permanently closing its hatch, isolating a leak that has resisted repairs since 2019.
The move followed a June 5 repair plan that would have sawed through a load-bearing bracket; NASA judged the method too risky and had its five astronauts shelter in SpaceX Dragon.
Air loss from the Russian segment had already doubled from about 1 pound a day to just over 2 pounds a day, prompting NASA in 2024 to rank the problem at its highest risk level.
Closing PrK would end Russian crew access to that transfer tunnel and force Roscosmos to route cargo through other docking ports, but it could finally contain one of the station's longest-running safety disputes.