Overview
- On Friday NASA directed five astronauts to enter the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon and assume an elevated safety posture while Russian engineers worked in the Zvezda transfer tunnel known as PrK.
- Roscosmos reported finding two potential leaks in the PrK, applied sealant to one suspected site and paused further cutting or structural work pending more measurements.
- Mission controllers lifted the roughly two-hour safe‑haven order after the pause and told the crew to return to planned station operations.
- Leak rates in the PrK rose recently from about one pound of air per day to roughly two pounds per day, and the root cause of the recurring cracks remains unresolved.
- The episode highlights risks of inspecting and repairing small fractures in aging hardware and raises fresh questions about long‑term ISS sustainment and partner coordination ahead of the station’s planned end of life.