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NASA temporarily instructed several astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to move into a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and prepare for a possible evacuation after new air leak concerns emerged in the Russian segment of the orbiting laboratory.
The precautionary measure came as Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, carried out repair work on air leaks detected in the transfer tunnel of the Zvezda Service Module.
Five Astronauts Asked to Prepare for Emergency Scenario
The astronauts who were told to shelter inside the Dragon spacecraft included members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission.
They were:
- Jessica Meir (United States)
- Jack Hathaway (United States)
- Sophie Adenot (European Space Agency, France)
- Andrey Fedyaev (Russia)
In addition, NASA also asked American astronaut Chris Williams, who had already spent 190 days aboard the ISS, to prepare for a potential evacuation if required.
Williams is currently stationed on the orbital outpost alongside Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev.
The order was issued as a safety precaution while engineers assessed the situation.
Air Leaks Found in Russian Segment of ISS
The latest concerns involve the transfer tunnel connected to the Zvezda Service Module, a key part of the Russian section of the space station.
Roscosmos has been dealing with air leaks and structural cracks in parts of its station modules for more than five years. Because of these recurring issues, NASA’s Office of Inspector General has previously described the leaks as one of the station’s most significant safety concerns.
As a result, both space agencies continue to closely monitor the condition of the affected areas.
Roscosmos Detects Two Leak Sites
According to reports from Russian state news agency Tass, specialists discovered two separate leak locations while pressurising the transfer chamber.
Engineers quickly sealed one of the leaks using a two-component sealant known as “Germetal-1.”
However, a second possible leak site was identified on the conical section of the transfer chamber. Therefore, additional inspections and testing were required before repair work could continue.
Roscosmos stated that the leaks did not pose an immediate threat to crew members or station systems.
NASA Ends Shelter Order After Initial Assessment
After approximately two hours of monitoring and evaluation, NASA instructed the astronauts to leave the Dragon spacecraft and return to their normal duties aboard the ISS.
NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens later confirmed that Roscosmos had paused the repair operation to allow engineers to review additional measurements and technical data.
The agencies are continuing to study the situation before deciding on the next steps.
Leak Concerns Have Affected Recent Space Missions
The ongoing issues with the Zvezda module have already impacted international spaceflight plans.
Earlier, a private astronaut mission involving crew members from India, Poland and Hungary was postponed because of concerns related to air leaks in the Russian section of the station.
Although the latest incident did not result in an emergency evacuation, it highlights the challenges of maintaining aging infrastructure aboard the ISS, which has been continuously occupied by astronauts since 2000.
For now, officials from both NASA and Roscosmos have emphasized that the crew remains safe and that station operations continue as normal while further inspections take place.