American company SpaceX’s Crew Dragon ship safely docked with the ISS on March 5, 2024, with an international crew on board. A crack was discovered in the ship’s seal 30 minutes before it was launched into orbit.

While inspecting the captive seal half an hour before launch, engineers noticed a half-millimeter crack in the RTV silicone. SpaceX engineers assured NASA experts that the defect would not interfere with the mission and harm the astronauts during flight, whereupon the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration administration gave approval for the launch.

Because the crack was small, it was expected to “heal” from the heat during flight, so engineers determined it would be safe to fly. SpaceX experts also noted that the crack is not related to the repeated use of the Crew Dragon Endeavor spacecraft, which is currently heading to the ISS for the fifth time.