403
Sorry!!
Error! We're sorry, but the page you were looking for doesn't exist.
ISS Crew Briefly Ordered to Evacuation Pods Over Air Leak Scare
(MENAFN) NASA on Friday temporarily directed astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to shelter inside an evacuation spacecraft and brace for a possible emergency departure following renewed concerns over a persistent air leak in a Russian-operated module.
"The Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, has suffered from cracks and leaks for some time, and has been mitigated by Roscosmos as much as possible to date. The cracks have always been a concern that NASA watches very closely," NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens wrote on X.
"Out of an abundance of caution, NASA has directed all four of the agency's SpaceX Crew-12 members and NASA astronaut Chris Williams to assume an elevated safety posture in the Dragon spacecraft while the repair is underway," Stevens added.
Stevens confirmed that Roscosmos, Russia's space agency, had been scheduled to conduct repair work on Friday, and outlined the broader context of the ongoing structural issue. "NASA and Roscosmos have been working to determine the root cause of the cracks, and Roscosmos manages the issue through operational mitigation measures and periodic partial-repair efforts," she said, adding: "We continue to work with our Russian counterparts, along with the rest of the international community that supports the space station, to arrive at a more permanent resolution."
The alert was short-lived. In a subsequent statement posted on X, Stevens said Roscosmos had paused its repair efforts inside the PrK tunnel while additional measurements were taken and data assessed.
"Given this development, NASA has instructed the crew members inside the Dragon spacecraft to end the safe haven procedures and return to planned operations aboard the International Space Station," she added.
"We look forward to working with Roscosmos on a collaborative approach to address the leaks," Stevens said.
The incident highlights the enduring structural vulnerabilities within aging sections of the ISS and the continued dependence on US-Russian coordination to manage safety aboard the orbiting laboratory.
"The Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, has suffered from cracks and leaks for some time, and has been mitigated by Roscosmos as much as possible to date. The cracks have always been a concern that NASA watches very closely," NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens wrote on X.
"Out of an abundance of caution, NASA has directed all four of the agency's SpaceX Crew-12 members and NASA astronaut Chris Williams to assume an elevated safety posture in the Dragon spacecraft while the repair is underway," Stevens added.
Stevens confirmed that Roscosmos, Russia's space agency, had been scheduled to conduct repair work on Friday, and outlined the broader context of the ongoing structural issue. "NASA and Roscosmos have been working to determine the root cause of the cracks, and Roscosmos manages the issue through operational mitigation measures and periodic partial-repair efforts," she said, adding: "We continue to work with our Russian counterparts, along with the rest of the international community that supports the space station, to arrive at a more permanent resolution."
The alert was short-lived. In a subsequent statement posted on X, Stevens said Roscosmos had paused its repair efforts inside the PrK tunnel while additional measurements were taken and data assessed.
"Given this development, NASA has instructed the crew members inside the Dragon spacecraft to end the safe haven procedures and return to planned operations aboard the International Space Station," she added.
"We look forward to working with Roscosmos on a collaborative approach to address the leaks," Stevens said.
The incident highlights the enduring structural vulnerabilities within aging sections of the ISS and the continued dependence on US-Russian coordination to manage safety aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Most popular stories
Market Research
More Story
Comments
No comment