> Maybe they are worried they won't be able to get the hatch open again if they can't equalize the pressure again? Well note that they currently keep the hatc

> Maybe they are worried they won't be able to get the hatch open again if they can't equalize the pressure again? Well note that they currently keep the hatch to the docking port closed unless they're using it, so that presumably mitigates some of the risk (assuming the leak is confined to that location). Not using the whole Zvezda module itself would be more or less impossible from my understanding. If they decided to stop using that dock port at all then I think that complicates planning and makes everything overall riskier, so while it wouldn't be a disaster to do there's still risk you have to weigh.