ISS cracks spur pensioned PrK module as NASA–Roscosmos reach a decommissioning deal

After years of corrosion-driven leaks in the PrK transfer tunnel of the ISS’s Russian Zvezda module, NASA and Roscosmos released a tense standoff when NASA had crews briefly shelter in SpaceX’s Dragon; Roscosmos has now agreed to decommission the PrK, allowing Progress docking for other functions while removing pressurization risk and preserving long-term station operations.