NASA has instructed astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to prepare for evacuation due to worsening air leaks. The directive was issued on Monday at 9:04 a.m. ET as a Russian crew works to address the leaks. The Crew-12 mission, consisting of two U.S. astronauts, a French astronaut, and a Russian cosmonaut, has been advised to enter their Crew Dragon spacecraft and wear spacesuits in case an emergency evacuation becomes necessary.
NASA confirmed that the air leak is originating from the Zvezda service module, which has experienced similar issues since 2019. Bethany Stevens, NASA press secretary, stated that the Zvezda module has had cracks and leaks that have been managed by Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. Following the detection of new leaks, Roscosmos has decided to undertake more extensive repairs.
The Zvezda service module, which connects the living quarters to the docking port, has been a source of leaks for years. A leak detected on May 1 is allowing approximately one pound of air to escape daily. NASA has classified this issue as one of the highest-risk challenges for the ISS, with discussions of potential catastrophic failure occurring in internal meetings.
In the past, Roscosmos astronauts have attempted to seal the leaks, but they are now planning to use a saw for repairs. The astronauts are currently sheltering in the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, ready for an emergency evacuation if necessary. NASA has a protocol for evacuating the ISS, which includes the astronauts quickly donning emergency suits and launching their Crew Dragon capsule to return to Earth if the situation becomes critical.