Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have been ordered to prepare for possible evacuation due to a worsening air leak.
NASA said the leak was coming from the Russian segment of the station, where cracks had previously been detected.
Four of the seven crew members – two American astronauts, a French astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut – were ordered by NASA mission control to enter their Crew Dragon spacecraft, docked at the station, in spacesuits while repairs were carried out.
They were later ordered to stop work while further measurements were taken.
«"NASA has instructed all four SpaceX Crew-12 crew members and NASA astronaut Chris Williams to assume a high safety position in the Dragon spacecraft while repairs are performed," NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens said.
«"We continue to work with our Russian colleagues, as well as with the entire international community supporting the space station, to achieve a more long-term solution.".
Air leaks had been relatively small in recent months, but they increased sharply on Monday, from one pound of air a day to twice that amount, a senior NASA official said.
18:33
That's all for today.
Thanks for following our online blog. Here are the highlights:
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NASA announced the discovery of an air leak in the Russian segment, but the problem has existed for many years.
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It has been confirmed that there were three Americans, three Russians and one French astronaut on board.
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The astronauts were ordered to prepare for possible evacuation.
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The first leak was fixed and the astronauts were ordered to return to scheduled operations.
18:03
Where did the leak occur on the ISS?
17:08
A dispute between NASA and Roscosmos over an information leak led to an evacuation.
NASA and Russia's space agency Roscosmos reportedly "discussed for months the best way to fix leaks in the station's Russian module, which ultimately led to the evacuation order.
A NASA spokesman said Russian cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev used a saw to cut a hole they believed they could use to access a crack where air was leaking, Reuters reports.
NASA officials disagreed with this method, prompting mission control to issue instructions for creating a safe haven.
The evacuation order was lifted and the astronauts returned to the ISS.
16:05
Roscosmos suspends construction work.
According to NASA, Roscosmos has suspended structural repair work on the Russian segment of the ISS.
Commenting on the initial report of leaks detected on the ISS, NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens said work was suspended "until additional measurements and data are evaluated.".
She added that the astronauts who were inside the Dragon attached to the spacecraft while the leaks were being repaired were ordered to return to their scheduled operations.
«"We look forward to collaborating with Roscosmos on a joint approach to addressing the leak problem," she said.
15:57
Russian Space Agency: First leak fixed
According to the Russian space agency Roscosmos, the first leak site has been sealed.
Roscosmos said work was underway to seal the second leak site and insisted there was no danger to the crew or the station's systems.
Despite these assurances, NASA instructed its astronauts on board the ISS to seek shelter in a safe location.
15:39
Watch: live broadcast from the ISS.
15:38
Russian colleagues "only carry out measurements.".
NASA is rescinding its order for astronauts aboard the ISS to prepare for evacuation due to an air leak in the Russian segment of the station.
NASA told the astronauts that their Russian colleagues from Roscosmos would be "taking measurements only" today to fix the leak.
NASA Mission Control instructed the astronauts to enter their Crew Dragon spacecraft, docked at the station, in their spacesuits while repairs are carried out.
15:25
Read the full statement:
15:21
Who is on board the International Space Station?
There are currently seven astronauts aboard the ISS, participating in two different missions. Four were delivered by the SpaceX Crew-12 rocket, and three by the Russian Soyuz MS-28 rocket.
SpaceX Crew-12 spacecraft
Launch: February 13, 2026.
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Jessica Meir (American)
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Jack Hathaway (American)
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Sophie Adeneau (French)
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Andrey Fedyaev (Russian)
Soyuz MS-28
Launch: November 27, 2025
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Christopher Williams (American)
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Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Russia)
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Sergey Mikaev (Russian)
15:20
Leaks from the ISS are not a new problem.
Leaks in the Russian segment of the International Space Station have been an ongoing problem for more than five years.
Roscosmos and NASA engineers are monitoring the rate of leakage from a small Russian module attached to the space station and leading to a docking port.
NASA ordered astronauts to shelter in their spacecraft and prepare for a possible evacuation on Friday as the Russian crew tries to fix a worsening air leak in their portion of the orbiting laboratory.
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