ISS Cracking Mystery Lingers After Air-Leak Seal
Air leaks in the ISS Zvezda module have been sealed, but a deeper structural mystery persists as NASA and Roscosmos probe root causes for the cracks in the PrK vestibule. The leading theories are high-cycle fatigue from pumps or environmental-assisted cracking. While containment measures and reduced pressurization are used to manage risk, there is no consensus on the severity or pervasiveness of the issue, highlighting challenges in maintaining aging infrastructure in orbit.