NASA Crew Takes Precautionary Shelter as Cosmonauts Repair ISS Air Leak

(MENAFN) NASA astronauts temporarily moved into an emergency evacuation spacecraft aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday after an air leak was detected in one of the station’s modules, while Russian cosmonauts carried out repair efforts, according to reports.

As a precaution, members of NASA’s Crew-12 mission were instructed to put on their spacesuits and take shelter inside a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which is used for crew transport to and from the ISS. The measure was described as a safety step while engineers worked on the issue, according to NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens.

Russia’s space agency Roscosmos reported that two possible leak points were identified during routine pressure monitoring in the transfer section of the Zvezda service module, a key part of the station. One of the leaks was sealed using specialized materials, while work continued on repairing the second area located in the module’s conical compartment.

NASA officials said both agencies have been monitoring cracks in the Zvezda module for some time and are jointly investigating the source of recurring pressure losses. Roscosmos reportedly launched a more extensive repair effort following the latest detection.

According to reports citing a senior NASA official, the air leak rate had recently increased significantly, rising from about half a kilogram of air per day to nearly one kilogram, prompting heightened concern and the precautionary sheltering of crew members.

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