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NASA Orders Crew to Shelter in SpaceX Dragon After Air Leak in Russian Zvezda Module

The precaution underscores aging damage in the Zvezda PrK transfer tunnel and prompted Roscosmos to pause planned structural repairs to gather more measurements.

Overview

  • NASA directed five astronauts to board the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon and suit up as a precaution on Friday after Roscosmos detected new leaks in the Russian segment of the ISS.
  • Russian specialists reported two leak points in the Zvezda module's PrK transfer tunnel, sealed one quickly and then suspended invasive repair work to collect additional diagnostic data.
  • Mission controllers lifted the shelter‑in‑place order after roughly two hours once Roscosmos halted the planned structural intervention and both agencies agreed to continue monitoring.
  • Ground teams say the station's air loss rate recently rose from about 0.5 kilograms per day to roughly 1 kilogram per day, increasing concern but not creating an immediate threat to crew safety.
  • The episode highlights chronic wear in Zvezda, a module installed in 2000, and underlines the reliance on the Dragon and Soyuz spacecraft as on‑station lifeboats while NASA and Roscosmos plan longer‑term fixes.