Five astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) sought refuge during a deteriorating air leak, preparing for potential evacuation for about two hours on Friday while Russian authorities endeavored to mend a crack on their part of the orbital lab, as per NASA. The four Crew‑12 mission astronauts, including two Americans, one French astronaut, and a Russian cosmonaut, along with another American astronaut, were directed by NASA mission control to enter their SpaceX‑manufactured Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the station. Approximately two hours later, NASA rescinded the order, allowing the astronauts to return to the station while monitoring the air leak situation.
NASA and Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, the primary operators of the ISS, have been in discussions for months regarding the cause and potential solutions to minor air leaks within Russia’s Zvezda service module, a critical component of the ISS. Former NASA chief astronaut Chris Cassidy, who led Expedition 63 on the ISS in 2020, reported that engineers have been addressing the leak issue for several years, considering it a persistent challenge.
Roscosmos identified two leaks on the ISS, reassuring that the crew faced no immediate danger. While the first leak was swiftly sealed, efforts were underway to address the second leak, with no impact on the spacecraft’s systems. The air leak rate increased from one to two pounds per day on Friday, raising concerns among NASA officials.
The ISS is currently accommodating seven astronauts from two missions, including the Crew‑12 team that arrived in February. Efforts to address the second leak involved cosmonauts planning to access the crack causing the air leak, leading to a disagreement with NASA officials and the implementation of safe-haven procedures.
Safe-haven orders on the ISS are uncommon but essential for crew safety, ensuring that crew members can quickly access emergency vehicles if needed. Following a pause in repair efforts by Roscosmos, NASA allowed the astronauts to return to the station, emphasizing a collaborative approach to address the ongoing leaks.
While incidents like space debris threats and minor air leak fluctuations have triggered safety procedures in recent years, no ISS evacuation has ever occurred in its 27‑year history. Efforts are ongoing to extend the ISS’s operational life until 2032, with bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress to bolster the station’s capabilities and competitiveness in space exploration.