ISS Evacuation Scare: Russia Wanted to Drill the Hull to Stop a Leak

In June 2026, NASA ordered Crew-12 to prepare for an emergency return after a long-running air leak in the Russian PrK transfer tunnel raised alarm bells. Roscosmos proposed drastic fixes—drilling the hull and, later, even sawing a load-bearing bracket in space—triggering NASA to threaten evacuation. The crew ultimately stayed on board as Roscosmos backed off, and Russia decided to decommission the PrK tunnel, ending its pressurized use. The incident underscores the frail NASA–Roscosmos partnership on the aging ISS, even as the station’s life is provisionally extended to 2032 and future U.S. stations may rely more on private players while Russia intends to keep its half of the orbiting lab.