NASA orders ISS astronauts to shelter as air leak worsens

NASA has ordered astronauts aboard the International Space Station to shelter in their docked SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and prepare for potential evacuation as Russian cosmonauts work to repair a worsening air leak in the Russian segment of the orbital laboratory. The agency directed five of the seven crew members aboard the station to wait inside the Crew Dragon "Freedom" spacecraft, which serves as a designated safe haven, while two Russian cosmonauts attempt to fix the leak. The four NASA Crew-12 members, including two U.S. astronauts, one French astronaut, and one Russian cosmonaut, were instructed to don their spacesuits as a precautionary measure. The air leak stems from cracks in a transfer tunnel located in the Russian module, a problem that has persisted on and off for approximately six years and has been considered a top safety risk by NASA. Multiple attempts have been made over the years to repair the cracks without complete success. The latest repair effort was initiated after the Russian space agency detected a slow pressure drop in the transfer tunnel last month, following the arrival of a Russian cargo ship at the station. The situation represents an ongoing operational challenge for the international space partnership that operates the station. While the leak has been manageable and the crew has remained safe during previous incidents, the worsening condition prompted NASA's precautionary measure to have astronauts ready for emergency evacuation. The ISS has hosted continuous human presence for over two decades, and such technical issues highlight the complexities of maintaining aging infrastructure in the harsh environment of space.