A serious air leak in the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) led NASA astronauts to don their spacesuits and take refuge in their Dragon capsule on Friday. While operations have since resumed, one of the two newly identified leaks remains unrepaired.
At approximately 1316 UTC on Friday, NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens announced that the crew had discovered new leaks, prompting Roscosmos to initiate a repair operation. During this precautionary measure, NASA ordered astronaut Chris Williams and the four-member SpaceX Crew-12 team to temporarily relocate to the Dragon spacecraft.
According to reports, air loss in the Russian section escalated from around one pound per day to two pounds recently. A source indicated that the newly discovered cracks in the module are the longest observed to date, although the exact dimensions of these cracks remain unclear.
Temporary Shelter and Resumed Operations
About two hours after the initial announcement, Stevens confirmed that NASA instructed the crew to return to normal operations aboard the ISS, following a pause in repair work on the Zvezda service module’s transfer tunnel, known as PrK. This decision was made to further evaluate “measurements and data” regarding the leaks.
Stevens emphasized that cracks in the Zvezda module have been a longstanding concern for NASA. “The cracks have always been a concern that NASA watches very closely,” she stated, noting that both NASA and Roscosmos are actively investigating the root cause of these structural issues.
Ongoing Leak Concerns
Leaks in the Russian segment of the ISS have been documented since 2020, with multiple repair attempts failing to fully resolve the issue. Recently, Russian news agency Interfax reported that cosmonauts had identified two potential air leaks in the transfer chamber. One of these leaks was sealed on Friday using a layer of Germetall-1, a two-component sealant, while efforts continue to prepare the second leak for hermetic sealing.
As the situation develops, Roscosmos has indicated that they are committed to addressing the leaks, although the underlying causes remain unknown. The ongoing integrity of the ISS is critical, and the implications of these leaks could affect future operations and the longevity of the station.
This article was produced by NeonPulse.today using human and AI-assisted editorial processes, based on publicly available information. Content may be edited for clarity and style.
