NASA Orders ISS Astronauts to Prepare for Evacuation Amid Worsening Russian Module Air Leak
NASA ordered astronauts aboard the International Space Station to shelter in their docked Crew Dragon spacecraft and prepare for possible evacuation due to a worsening air leak in the Russian Zvezda service module. The leak, involving microscopic cracks in a transfer tunnel, has persisted for years but escalated recently, doubling air loss from one to two pounds per day. Russian specialists attempted repairs, including plans to cut a bracket, which NASA opposed. After about two hours, NASA lifted the evacuation alert as the situation was reassessed, with no immediate danger reported to the crew or station systems.