Astronauts take shelter as air leaks worsen on International Space Station

On Friday, five astronauts aboard the International Space Station were directed by NASA mission control to take shelter in a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for approximately two hours due to a worsening air leak. The leak originated from a crack on the Russian segment of the station, which Russian counterparts were attempting to fix. The astronauts involved included the four members of NASA's Crew-12 mission (two Americans, one French astronaut, and one Russian cosmonaut) and an additional US astronaut. NASA eventually reversed the evacuation order after assessing the rate of the air leak in collaboration with Russian agencies.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have returned to normal duties after a temporary evacuation alert due to a worsening air leak. On Friday morning, four astronauts from the Crew-12 mission were instructed by NASA mission control to enter their docked Crew Dragon spacecraft and don spacesuits as a precaution. This alert was issued due to an increase in air loss from the Zvezda service module, which has experienced cracks and leaks previously. However, Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, paused structural repairs to assess data, leading NASA to direct the crew to end safe haven procedures. Both agencies are working collaboratively to address the leaks, which Roscosmos stated pose no immediate threat to the crew.

NASA has instructed four astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) to prepare for a potential evacuation as Russian space agency Roscosmos undertakes repairs for worsening air leaks. The leaks are occurring in a tunnel within the Zvezda service module, part of the Russian segment of the station. This precautionary measure, taken out of "abundance of caution," involves the four NASA SpaceX Crew-12 members and NASA astronaut Chris Williams sheltering in the Dragon spacecraft. Roscosmos is conducting a more extensive repair operation on Friday, June 5. The ISS, launched in 1998, is a collaborative project involving five international space agencies, with daily operations coordinated by NASA and Roscosmos. Seven astronauts are currently on board the orbital facility.

Five astronauts aboard the International Space Station were ordered to take "safe-haven" procedures on the Dragon spacecraft during an attempted repair of a worsening air leak. Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev were attempting to fix the leak in the PrK transfer tunnel, which connects to the Zvezda service module. The decision to take shelter was prompted by NASA's disagreement with the repair method, which involved using a saw to access the crack. This issue with air leaks has been ongoing for approximately six years, but a recent pressure drop led to the more extensive repair attempt. The cosmonauts' escape route was the docked Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft.