Is the International Space Station in trouble? NASA orders crew into spacecraft after leak

Washington: NASA has ordered astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to shelter inside their spacecraft and prepare for a possible evacuation after a worsening air leak was detected in the Russian segment of the orbiting laboratory.

According to Reuters, the precautionary measure affects astronauts assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission, currently stationed aboard the ISS.

The crew includes American astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency, and Russian Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

The four astronauts have been aboard the station since February, carrying out scientific experiments and technology demonstrations designed to support future human missions to the Moon and Mars.

The shelter order comes as concerns grow over persistent air leaks in the Russian section of the ISS, an issue that NASA says has been under close observation for some time.

“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,” Bethany Stevens, a spokesperson for NASA, posted on X.

She continued: “The cracks have always been a concern that NASA watches very closely. 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.”

“Following new leaks, Roscosmos has elected to proceed with a more extensive repair operation on Friday, June 5.”

NASA said the instruction for astronauts to shelter in their spacecraft was issued “out of an abundance of caution”, while Russian engineers undertake repair operations in the affected section.

The latest development highlights ongoing challenges facing the aging orbital laboratory, which has experienced a number of technical concerns in recent years. Space agencies have repeatedly stressed that crew safety remains the top priority as investigations continue into the source of the leaks.