Astronauts aboard the International Space Station were ordered on Friday, June 5, to shelter and prepare for a possible emergency evacuation as an air leak in the orbiting lab worsened, according to NASA cited by Reuters. The crew was instructed to move into the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the station and put on their space suits as a precautionary measure. The alert came while Russian crew members worked to repair the leak, which is located in the Russian segment of the ISS.
NASA said the problem involves a tunnel in the Zvezda module, part of the station’s Russian side, where cracks and leaks have reportedly persisted for some time. According to NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens, Roscosmos has been trying to contain the issue, with the leaks periodically patched to the extent possible. She said the Russian space agency decided to carry out a more extensive repair operation on Friday, June 5, after new leaks were detected.
The cause of the leakage has not yet been determined. Reuters reported that the air leak worsened on Monday, prompting increased concern among mission controllers. NASA described the evacuation readiness order as an “excess of caution” response intended to protect the crew while repairs were underway.
Among those aboard the station is French astronaut Sophie Adenot. NASA said the precaution applied to the four-member SpaceX Crew-12 crew as well as NASA astronaut Chris Williams. The astronauts remain in close coordination with ground teams while the repair effort continues.
The ISS has experienced recurring structural and sealing issues in recent years, particularly in its older Russian modules. The latest incident underscores the operational challenges of maintaining a permanently crewed spacecraft in low Earth orbit, where even small leaks can require immediate response procedures. For now, the crew has been instructed to remain prepared for rapid evacuation if conditions deteriorate further, while Russian and American space teams continue monitoring the situation.
