ISS tensions flare as Russia plans drill, saw repairs NASA opposes

 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.”