DANGER IN ORBIT: International Space Station Is Leaking Air Again in a Problem First Detected in 2019

The aging ISS is plagued by a dangerous air leak.

The leak was confirmed by NASA last week, another instance of a recurring problem that the agency thought it had resolved earlier this year.

Emergency evacuation plans on standby as seven astronauts aboard NASA’s ISS face alarming air leak https://t.co/TPLL0xVsq1

— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) May 29, 2026

The New York Post reported:

“The 27-year-old orbiting space station has been plagued with air leaks since 2019 in a part of the station called the PrK module, a narrow transfer tunnel or vestibule on the Russian segment.

In January, NASA announced that the PrK module had finally reached a ‘stable condition’ after multiple inspections and sealant applications. But on May 1, the issue returned.”

NASA confirmed a ‘slow pressure drop’ within the PrK module, noticed as Russian cosmonauts unloaded cargo.

Ars Technica reported:

“Unfortunately, the leak returned three weeks ago. After a couple of sources reported this to Ars, NASA confirmed the issue on Thursday. On May 1, after Russian cosmonauts unloaded cargo from the Progress 95 cargo spacecraft, Roscosmos noted a ‘slow pressure drop’ in the PrK module.

‘Teams performed data analysis, which indicated a loss of about one pound per day’, NASA spokesperson Josh Finch told Ars. ‘Roscosmos allowed the pressure in the transfer tunnel to gradually decrease while monitoring the rate. The area now is being maintained at a lower pressure, with small repressurizations as needed. There are no impacts to station operations, and NASA and Roscosmos are coordinating on next steps’.

Although there is no impact on astronauts aboard the station, nor any immediate concerns about the station’s health, the returning leak issue raises new questions about the long-term viability of the ISS.

In the past, NASA officials have downplayed the severity of the leak risks publicly and in meetings with external stakeholders of the ISS. Internally, however, there appears to be greater concern. The space agency uses a 5×5 ‘risk matrix’ to classify the likelihood and consequences of risks to spaceflight activities, and the Russian leaks have been classified as a ‘5’ on both high likelihood and high consequence. Their potential for ‘catastrophic failure’ is discussed in meetings.”

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