Overview

• Elon Musk called on NASA to retire the ISS within two years, expressing concern over its deteriorating structural integrity
• NASA postponed the Axiom Mission 4 commercial flight to examine a fresh pressure signature in the Zvezda service module
• The station has suffered recurring air leaks since 2019 due to microscopic cracks in its aluminium hull
• In June 2024 NASA awarded SpaceX an $843 million contract to build a US Deorbit Vehicle set for 2028 readiness ahead of a 2031 controlled reentry
• Physicist Casey Handmer warned that mounting cracks and minimal safety margins could trigger a sudden catastrophic failure