A deteriorating air leak on the International Space Station (ISS) led to five astronauts seeking shelter and preparing for evacuation for approximately two hours on Friday while Russia worked to repair a crack in its section of the space laboratory, as stated by NASA. The four Crew-12 mission astronauts, consisting of two Americans, one French astronaut, and a Russian cosmonaut, along with another U.S. astronaut, were directed by NASA mission control at 9:04 a.m. ET on Friday to enter the SpaceX-built Crew Dragon spacecraft attached to the station.
NASA later rescinded the order after about two hours, allowing the astronauts to return to the station while both NASA and Russian space agency, Roscosmos, assessed the air leak situation. There has been an ongoing debate between NASA and Roscosmos regarding the cause and solutions for small air leaks within Russia’s Zvezda service module, a critical component of the ISS where astronauts reside and work in space.
Former NASA chief astronaut Chris Cassidy, who led Expedition 63 on the ISS in 2020, mentioned that the crew had been aware of the leak since then and efforts have been ongoing for several years to address it. Roscosmos reported that two leaks were detected on the ISS, but the crew was not in immediate danger.
The first leak was promptly sealed, and preparations were being made to address the second leak, as per Roscosmos. The air leaks, which had been minor in recent months, escalated on Friday, doubling from one to two pounds of air per day, according to a senior NASA official.
The ISS is currently home to seven astronauts from two missions, including the Crew-12 team that arrived in February and another crew that arrived in November. Plans to address the leak involved two cosmonauts intending to access the crack leaking air, which was met with disagreement from NASA officials, resulting in the implementation of safe-haven procedures.
Safe-haven orders are uncommon on the ISS, with incidents like space debris risks or changes in air leak rates triggering such protocols. The astronauts have never evacuated the ISS in its history. Efforts are ongoing to find a permanent solution in collaboration with international partners supporting the space station.
Legislation aiming to extend the space station’s life until 2032 is being considered by the U.S. Congress. The proposal has received support from various senators and is part of efforts to counter China’s expanding presence in space. Discussions are in progress to finalize the legislation in the Senate and House of Representatives.