The station was losing roughly half a kilogram of air every single day.
Más de 400 kilómetros sobre la Tierra, siete personas comparten el aire de una estación que lleva cinco años perdiendo ese mismo aire, gota a gota, hacia el vacío. La NASA y Roscosmos confirmaron en mayo de 2026 que el módulo PrK de la Estación Espacial Internacional vuelve a presentar una fuga activa, tras haber declarado el problema estabilizado apenas cuatro meses antes. Lo que este episodio revela no es solo una grieta en el metal, sino la fragilidad inherente de mantener vida humana en un entorno que no perdona la imprecisión ni el optimismo prematuro.
- El 1 de mayo, la presión en el túnel de transferencia PrK comenzó a caer de nuevo, apenas cuatro meses después de que ambas agencias declararan el problema resuelto.
- La estación pierde aproximadamente medio kilogramo de aire al día a través de microfracturas que los ingenieros llevan más de cinco años intentando localizar sin éxito definitivo.
- Siete astronautas y cosmonautas permanecen a bordo con protocolos de evacuación activos, aunque la NASA insiste en que no existe peligro inmediato.
- Roscosmos optó por una solución de contención: dejar caer la presión del módulo de forma controlada y reforzarla periódicamente, en lugar de intentar una reparación directa en órbita.
- NASA y Roscosmos coordinan los próximos pasos para encontrar una solución permanente antes de que la fuga escale a una amenaza crítica para la tripulación.
El 1 de mayo, cosmonautas rusos a bordo de la Estación Espacial Internacional detectaron algo inquietante: la presión del aire dentro del módulo PrK, un estrecho túnel de transferencia en el segmento ruso, volvía a descender. No de forma catastrófica, pero sí de manera constante. Cuando los ingenieros analizaron los datos, la conclusión fue clara: la estación perdía alrededor de medio kilogramo de aire al día, y el problema que creían haber resuelto en enero había regresado.
El PrK no es un módulo nuevo ni su fuga es una sorpresa reciente. Durante más de cinco años, ingenieros de la NASA y Roscosmos han monitoreado este pasillo que conecta el segmento ruso con un puerto de atraque para naves de suministro, aplicando sellantes y realizando inspecciones repetidas. La causa apunta a microfracturas en la propia estructura, el tipo de defecto que resulta extraordinariamente difícil de localizar y aún más de reparar cuando se trabaja en órbita. En enero, tras varios intentos de sellado, la NASA anunció que la presión se había estabilizado. Ese alivio duró poco: al descargar carga de una nave Progress el 1 de mayo, la presión comenzó su descenso de nuevo.
El portavoz de la NASA Josh Finch confirmó la situación públicamente. Ante la dificultad de una reparación directa, Roscosmos tomó una decisión táctica: permitir que la presión en el túnel descienda de forma gradual y controlada, reforzándola periódicamente para mantener condiciones seguras. Las operaciones de la estación continúan sin interrupciones por el momento.
A bordo hay siete personas: tres astronautas de la NASA, uno de la Agencia Espacial Europea y tres cosmonautas rusos. Aunque no existe peligro inmediato, los protocolos de evacuación permanecen activos. Ambas agencias buscan ahora una solución permanente a un problema que ha demostrado ser mucho más resistente de lo esperado, conscientes de que el tiempo y el vacío no esperan.
On May 1st, Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station noticed something troubling: the air pressure inside a small transfer tunnel was dropping. Not catastrophically, but steadily. By the time engineers ran the numbers, they had a problem that NASA and Russia's space agency had thought they'd solved just four months earlier. The station was losing roughly half a kilogram of air every single day.
The leak originates in the PrK module, a narrow passageway that connects the Russian segment of the station to a docking port where supply ships arrive. It's not a new problem. For more than five years, engineers from both NASA and Roscosmos have been watching this module bleed atmosphere into the vacuum of space, searching for the source. The culprit appears to be microscopic fractures in the structure itself—the kind of defect that's maddeningly difficult to locate and even harder to repair when you're working in orbit, thousands of miles above Earth.
In January, after conducting multiple inspections and applying sealants to the module, NASA announced that pressure inside the PrK had stabilized. The news brought relief to the spaceflight community. A pressurized vessel losing air in the void is a serious matter, and the idea that the problem had been contained was welcome. But that stability proved temporary. When the crew unloaded cargo from a Progress supply vehicle on May 1st, the pressure began its slow descent again.
Josh Finch, a NASA spokesperson, confirmed the situation to reporters. The data showed a consistent loss of about half a kilogram of air per day—not a sudden rupture, but a persistent drain that couldn't be ignored. Rather than fight the leak directly, Roscosmos made a tactical decision: allow the pressure in the transfer tunnel to drop gradually while monitoring the rate of loss. The module now operates at a lower pressure than normal, with periodic boosts when necessary to maintain safe conditions. For now, station operations continue without disruption.
Seven people are currently aboard the ISS: three NASA astronauts, one European Space Agency astronaut, and three Russian cosmonauts. Although NASA has stated there is no immediate danger, the agency maintains evacuation procedures that would allow the crew to abandon the station aboard docked spacecraft if conditions deteriorated. The two agencies are coordinating their next moves, searching for a permanent solution to a problem that has proven far more stubborn than anyone anticipated. What happens next depends on whether engineers can finally locate the source of those microfractures—and whether they can reach it before the leak becomes something worse.
Notable Quotes
The data showed a loss of approximately half a kilogram of air per day. Roscosmos allowed the pressure to decrease gradually while monitoring the rate. The zone now maintains lower pressure with periodic boosts as needed.— Josh Finch, NASA spokesperson
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a leak that was supposedly fixed in January come back so quickly?
Because they didn't actually fix it. They sealed it, which is different. The underlying fractures in the metal are still there. It's like patching a crack in a dam—it holds for a while, but the structural problem remains.
So they're just letting the pressure drop now instead of fighting it?
Exactly. It's a holding pattern. They're buying time while they figure out where the actual damage is. In space, sometimes the pragmatic move is to accept a slow leak rather than risk making things worse by trying emergency repairs.
What's the real risk here? Is the station in danger?
Not yet. But a leak that loses half a kilogram of air daily will eventually become critical if it's not stopped. Right now they have a buffer, but it's finite. The evacuation procedures exist precisely because they know how this story could end.
Why is it so hard to find the source?
The PrK module is a transfer tunnel—essentially a metal tube in the harshest environment imaginable. Microfractures can be invisible to the naked eye, and they're in a place that's difficult to access and inspect. You can't just cut into it and look around.
How long can they realistically operate like this?
That depends on how fast the leak grows and how much air they can afford to lose. But it's not sustainable indefinitely. Eventually, they'll have to either seal it properly or abandon that section of the station.