ISS Crew Takes Temporary Refuge in SpaceX Dragon During Air Leak Repairs

NASA temporarily directed five astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to take shelter inside a docked SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on Friday. At the same time, Russian specialists worked to address a leak in one of the station’s service modules.

NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens initially said in a post on X that Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, had identified additional leaks in the module and decided to carry out an extensive repair effort.

“As a precautionary measure, NASA instructed the four SpaceX Crew-12 members and NASA astronaut Chris Williams to assume an elevated safety posture inside the Dragon spacecraft while repairs were underway,” Stevens wrote. She added that NASA continues to coordinate closely with Roscosmos and other international ISS partners to pursue a longer-term solution.

About an hour later, Stevens provided an update saying Roscosmos had paused the repair work to review additional measurements and technical data.

Following that decision, NASA directed the astronauts inside the Dragon capsule to conclude the safe-haven procedures and resume normal operations aboard the space station.

The Russian service module has experienced leak-related issues for several years. Stevens noted that the cracks remain a concern and that NASA continues to monitor them closely.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

There are currently 10 crew members aboard the ISS. Four astronauts arrived in February as part of the long-duration SpaceX Crew-12 mission, while three others reached the station last November aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

The repair effort comes at a time when the future of the International Space Station remains uncertain. Under the leadership of administrator Jared Isaacman, NASA is planning to transition from the ageing orbital laboratory to commercially developed space stations later this decade.