Tensions between NASA and Russia’s Roscosmos space agency flared on June 5 when NASA directed five astronauts aboard the International Space Station to shelter in a Crew Dragon spacecraft as Russian cosmonauts prepared to use a saw and drill to repair persistent cracks in the station’s aging Zvezda module, a move NASA officials opposed.
The dispute centered on the PrK module, a small transfer tunnel connecting the Russian segment to a docking port that has suffered persistent air leaks since 2019 due to microscopic structural cracks caused by corrosion. On June 4, Russian officials informed NASA of plans to attempt physical repairs using a drill and a “drill stop” device designed to prevent drilling through the module’s structure. NASA officials, lacking detailed analysis from Roscosmos about the repair procedure, grew deeply concerned about the approach.
“We threatened we would put astronauts in suits, in Dragon, to send a message to the world that we disagreed,” one NASA official told Ars Technica. “They didn’t care.”
The situation escalated Friday morning when Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev approached the PrK module with a saw and the intent to remove a load-bearing bracket. Meanwhile, Roscosmos officials continued to ignore communication with NASA mission controllers in Houston. At that point, NASA directed Crew-12 members—US astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot, Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, and US astronaut Chris Williams—into SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft out of “abundance of caution,” according to SpaceNews.
“We felt there was a very high probability of a bad outcome happening if they sawed that bracket off,” a NASA source said, according to Ars Technica. NASA’s decision to send its astronauts into a safe haven prompted Roscosmos to finally back off from the structural work. The cosmonauts instead took measurements and applied sealant to one of two suspected leak areas while studying the other, according to SpaceNews.
Resolution and Decommissioning
In the days following the standoff, Russia and NASA engaged in further discussions that ultimately led to a significant resolution. Russia has now told NASA it will decommission the PrK module entirely, according to Ars Technica. Effectively, this means cosmonauts will no longer enter the PrK module or attempt to pressurize it. Progress cargo vehicles will still be able to use the docking port to transfer fluids or perform other functions, but Russia will need to use other ports to move supplies on board the station.
The PrK module has been a persistent source of tension between the two agencies for years. The transfer tunnel’s cracking issue stems from corrosion, and leaks occur when pressure is cycled up or down. Although NASA has not publicly discussed the full gravity of its concerns, the PrK module could potentially break apart without much advance warning. Under pressure, the module could unzip and fail completely, according to Ars Technica, which cited concerns previously expressed by retired NASA official Bob Cabana about “the structural integrity of the PrK and the possibility of a catastrophic failure.”
The new cracks discovered in early June brought the total to about 16, according to Ars Technica. For NASA and the space station’s longevity, the agreement to decommission the module represents a significant step forward, retiring a long-standing risk of rapid depressurization that NASA had reluctantly accepted for years.
Sources
- Ars Technica — detailed account of the June 4-5 standoff, NASA officials’ statements, the saw and drill plans, and Russia’s decommissioning decision
- SpaceNews — NASA’s decision to establish safe haven, the specific repair methods planned, and cosmonauts’ alternative actions
- Futurism — tensions between agencies, the saw and drill methods, and the escalation of the standoff
