NASA Lifts 5-Astronaut Dragon Shelter Order as Roscosmos Pauses ISS Leak Repairs
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jun 5
NASA Lifts 5-Astronaut Dragon Shelter Order as Roscosmos Pauses ISS Leak Repairs
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jun 5
Summary
Five astronauts were told to shelter in a docked SpaceX Dragon during repairs to new leaks in the ISS Russian segment, but NASA lifted the order later Friday after Roscosmos paused the work.
Roscosmos had begun a more extensive repair operation after detecting fresh leakage in the transfer tunnel between the Zvezda module and a docking hatch, an area that has troubled the station for years.
Russian state media said cosmonauts found two potential air leaks; one was quickly sealed, while work on another problem area remains unfinished as engineers review more measurements and data.
The five included the four Crew-12 members and NASA astronaut Chris Williams, who sheltered in the 13-foot-wide Dragon as a precautionary step used when the station faces possible emergency evacuation risks.
The episode underscores renewed concern over chronic air loss in the Russian-controlled segment, where the affected tunnel has largely been kept closed off and the leak rate may have worsened again.