Five of seven crew members on the International Space Station briefly entered a SpaceX return capsule Friday morning as two Russian cosmonauts worked on an air leak on the Russian segment of the complex. NASA ordered US astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot, Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, and NASA astronaut Chris Williams into SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft around 9 am EST on Friday. The shelter order was issued due to repair work on persistent air leaks in a transfer tunnel on Russia's Zvezda Service Module. Engineers from Roscosmos and NASA have tracked the leak rate from the tunnel, known by the Russian acronym PrK, for more than half a decade, with the leaks believed to be caused by microscopic cracks in the module's structure.
NASA Orders Crew into SpaceX Capsule During Leak Repair
NASA mission control radioed the station crew around 9 am with instructions to execute Emergency Procedure 3.4: Crew Dragon, establish Safe Haven. The four Crew-12 astronauts — Meir, Hathaway, Adenot, and Fedyaev — launched aboard the SpaceX crew capsule in February, and the ship serves as their lifeboat until the crew's scheduled return to Earth in September. NASA astronaut Chris Williams, who flew to the station in a Russian Soyuz ferry ship, joined the Crew-12 astronauts inside the Dragon spacecraft. Mission control indicated that if crew members needed to suit up, that action would occur once inside the Dragon.
A NASA spokesperson posted a statement on X attributing the shelter order to repair work on persistent air leaks on the Russian segment of the space station. The transfer tunnel on the back end of Russia's Zvezda Service Module leads to a docking port for Progress resupply and refueling freighters.
Zvezda Module Leak Tracked for Over Half a Decade
Engineers from Roscosmos and NASA have tracked the leak rate from the PrK transfer tunnel for more than half a decade. Engineers believe the leaks are caused by microscopic cracks in the module's structure. Russian cosmonauts have repeatedly inspected and attempted to seal the cracks, but a permanent fix has eluded them.
After a few months of pressure stability inside the PrK earlier this year, Roscosmos confirmed in May that the air leaks had returned.
FAQ
Why did ISS crew members enter the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on Friday?
NASA ordered five crew members into the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft around 9 am EST on Friday as two Russian cosmonauts worked on an air leak repair in the Zvezda Service Module transfer tunnel. The shelter order was a precautionary measure during the repair work on persistent air leaks tracked for more than half a decade.
What causes the air leaks in the Zvezda Service Module?
Engineers believe the air leaks in the Zvezda Service Module's PrK transfer tunnel are caused by microscopic cracks in the module's structure. Russian cosmonauts have repeatedly inspected and attempted to seal the cracks, but a permanent fix has eluded them. Roscosmos confirmed in May that the air leaks had returned after a few months of pressure stability earlier this year.
