Russia is closing part of the International Space Station

After years of unsuccessful attempts to fix a leak on the International Space Station (ISS), Russia plans to permanently seal the affected section. The leak was first detected in 2019 in a tunnel connecting a docking unit to the Russian Zvezda module. Despite multiple repair attempts by NASA and Roscosmos, the issue persists. Roscosmos has decided to close the hatch between the Zvezda module and the tunnel, isolating the leak. A new supply mission is planned for November, with the Progress MS-36 spacecraft docking at a different Russian module. Tensions have risen between NASA and Roscosmos regarding the severity of the leak, which has increased over time. A temporary closure of the tunnel aims to minimize air loss, but future repair attempts remain uncertain.