NASA has ordered five astronauts aboard the International Space Station to temporarily evacuate their spacecraft and prepare for evacuation as efforts are underway to repair a worsening air leak in the Russian portion of the station.
Russian cosmonauts tackled the leak. NASA canceled the order two hours later and told the astronauts they could return to the station and resume normal operations. The rate of air leakage is under investigation.
The air leak was first discovered in September 2019 and is located in the station’s Russian orbital segment, a transport tunnel known as PrK. The tunnel connects the Zvezda service module and the docked spacecraft.
Mission control ordered the astronauts to don spacesuits and board the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft Freedom as part of an “advanced safety posture.” The spacecraft is docked with the station’s Harmony module.
The order was issued “out of an abundance of caution,” NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens said in a post on X just after 9 a.m. ET on June 5.
Multiple attempts have been made over the years to fix air leaks. Although it has decreased, it has not gone away and has recently gotten worse.
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How are air leaks sealed? international space station?
The cabin pressure inside the station is constantly monitored. When a drop in pressure is detected, the hatch is closed and the station is isolated. Use pressure tests and ultrasonic leak detectors to determine the cause.
Once the source is located, seal it with Kapton tape, epoxy, or other patch and sealing compound, depending on the type and location of the leak. The area will be repressurized if necessary and the air pressure will be checked and monitored.
In response to years of leaks in Zvezda’s PrK tunnel, NASA and Roscosmos have taken operational mitigation measures, including keeping the tunnel closed until needed.
Who is on the International Space Station?
Seven astronauts are on the station as part of Expedition 74. Four of them are members of the Crew-12 mission, which arrived on February 13 and is scheduled to depart in September.
The remaining three people boarded the Soyuz MS-28 on November 27, 2025.
They are scheduled to leave in July.
The International Space Station has operated for more than 25 years in low Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 400 miles. Used for research and civilian commercial missions.
NASA plans to keep the station in operation until 2030, but some in Congress want it to remain in orbit until late 2032. The station will then be dropped in a controlled manner to a remote location in the ocean.
Contributed by Eric Lagatta
SOURCE USA TODAY NETWORK REPORTS AND INVESTIGATIONS. Reuters; NASA; Artechnica.com
