WASHINGTON — NASA reversed a temporary evacuation alert for astronauts aboard the International Space Station on Friday after a brief shelter-in-place order prompted by a worsening air leak in the Russian segment of the orbital laboratory.
The agency directed five astronauts to move into a docked SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and don their spacesuits as a precaution while Russian cosmonauts attempted repairs on a crack in a transfer tunnel of the Zvezda service module. The order was lifted roughly two hours later, and the crew returned to normal operations.
NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens said the safe-haven procedures ended after Roscosmos paused its structural repair efforts to gather more measurements and data. Station pressure remained stable throughout the incident.
The air leak, originating in the PrK transfer tunnel of the Russian Zvezda module, had been a long-standing issue with small but persistent leaks detected since around 2019. On Friday, the leak rate doubled from about one pound of air per day to two pounds, prompting heightened concern among mission controllers.
Roscosmos reported detecting two leaks aboard the station but stated there was no immediate threat to the crew. Russian cosmonauts were preparing to address one of the sites when the precautionary measures were enacted.
The crew on board includes members of NASA’s Crew-12 mission along with international partners. Officials emphasized that the shelter order was a standard safety protocol rather than an indication of imminent danger.
“This was a precautionary measure,” Stevens said in a statement. “Given this development, NASA has instructed the crew members inside the Dragon spacecraft to end the safe haven procedures and return to planned operations aboard the International Space Station.”
The incident highlights ongoing challenges with the aging Russian segment of the ISS, which has faced repeated air leak issues in recent years. NASA and Roscosmos have collaborated closely on monitoring and mitigation efforts.
As of Friday evening, normal operations had resumed on the station. Further assessments of the leak and potential long-term repairs continue, according to officials from both space agencies. No impact on the station’s overall structural integrity or crew safety has been reported.
