NASA Reverses 5-Astronaut ISS Evacuation Alert as Russian Module Air Leak Doubles

3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Jun 5

Five astronauts were told at 1304 GMT to shelter in a docked SpaceX Crew Dragon and suit up for a possible ISS evacuation, but NASA lifted the alert about two hours later.
The order followed a jump in air loss on Russia's Zvezda module from about 1 pound a day to 2 pounds, while two cosmonauts used a saw to reach a suspected crack.
NASA mission control in Houston disagreed with that repair method, according to a senior NASA official, and initiated the rare safe-haven procedure while NASA and Roscosmos reassessed the leak rate.
The leak has been under dispute for months between NASA and Roscosmos, and although safe-haven orders have occurred before, astronauts have never evacuated the ISS in its 27-year history.

Sources

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