On June 5, 2026, NASA ordered five astronautsastronauts/ˈæstrənɔːts/L1宇航员，在太空工作的人people who travel and work in space on the International Space Station (ISS) to prepare to leave. The reason was a worsening air leak in the Russian part of the station. The leak is in the Zvezda PrK transfer tunnel. It has fine cracks that have been patched many times. Bob Cabana, the ISS advisory committee chair, said: 'NASA worries about a possible catastrophiccatastrophic/ˌkætəˈstrɒfɪk/L2灾难性的；造成巨大破坏或损失的causing a lot of damage or suffering; very bad or terrible failure.'
However, NASA and Roscosmos disagree about the danger. Roscosmos says the leak is safe, but NASA sees a high risk. In early June 2026, new cracks appeared, so Roscosmos proposedproposed/prəˈpəʊzd/L2提议；建议（计划、方案等）suggested a plan or idea for people to consider repairs with a drill and then a saw. NASA ordered astronauts to sheltershelter/ˈʃeltər/L2避难所；遮蔽处；躲避a place where you are protected from danger or bad weather; to go to such a place in a SpaceX capsule. Roscosmos dropped both plans and will close the tunnel.
The ISS was not built to last forever. Private companies plan to replace it, but they need government money and face delays. Vast's Haven-1 will not fly before 2027, and a full replacement may not be ready until 2032. As a result, US lawmakerslawmakers/ˈlɔːˌmeɪkərz/L2立法者；议员（制定法律的人）people who make or change laws, such as members of a government extended the ISS life to 2032. The station will eventually enter the ocean near Point Nemo.
