The International Space Station (ISS) is leaking air, and its future hangs in the balance as NASA and Roscosmos disagree on how to solve the growing problem.

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who is currently aboard the ISS, is among the crew navigating this escalating crisis, which some warn could threaten the station’s ability to function during its expected lifespan.

The leak, first discovered in 2019, comes from the PrK module, a Russian segment that connects the Zvezda service module to the rest of the station. While cosmonauts have worked to minimize its impact by shutting down the module when not in use,

NASA reports that the leak has intensified. Air flows out at a rate of 2 to 2.5 pounds per day, with occasional spikes, like the 3.7-pound loss recorded in April.

NASA officials warn that the leak could cause a “catastrophic failure” if left unchecked. Bob Cabana, chairman of NASA’s ISS Advisory Committee, stated during a public meeting that the issue poses a significant risk to the station’s goal of operating by 2030.

Meanwhile, the Russian space agency Roscosmos has downplayed the seriousness, insisting that the leak does not jeopardize the station’s future. The disagreement has delayed a unified response, although both agencies agree to shut down the segment if air loss becomes “unsustainable.” However, what constitutes this threshold is unresolved.

Experts attribute the leak to decades of wear and tear on the ISS, which has been continuously occupied since 2000. Mechanical stress, micrometeoroids and aging infrastructure are likely to blame for the small cracks.

NASA has taken precautions, including preparing additional “podium seats” on SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for potential emergency evacuations. “The station is not young,” astronaut Michael Barratt said, acknowledging the challenges of maintaining a 25-year-old structure in space.

The ISS, a symbol of international cooperation, is expected to operate until 2030, after which it will be turned into Earth’s atmosphere. With no plans for a replacement, the current leak raises pressing questions about the future of human presence in low Earth orbit.

For now, Sunita Williams and her crewmates continue their mission aboard the aging station, even as the cracks—both literal and figurative—become harder to ignore.