Four astronauts grabbed their spacesuits and prepared for an emergency evacuation Friday morning when repairs to the aging service module "Zvezda"« There was an air leak in Russia.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft has been converted into a lifeboat.
В 9:04 AM ET NASA ordered the four astronauts of the Crew-12 mission—two Americans, one French ESA astronaut, and one Russian cosmonaut—to immediately enter the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and don their spacesuits. The reason was Roscosmos controllers' discovery. two new air leaks In the Zvezda service module's transfer chamber during pressurization for structural repairs. You know that uneasy feeling when your car starts making a strange noise on the highway? Imagine that, but you're 250 miles above Earth with nowhere to park.
Russian ground control solves the problem.
Russian mission control quickly fixed the first leak with the help of hermetically sealed composition and began preparations to repair the second leak, located in the conical section of the transfer chamber. According to Roscosmos, the pressure on the station remained stable throughout the incident, and there was no immediate threat to the crew's safety. After assessing the situation and suspending repair work, NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens announced that the crews could "complete safe shelter procedures and return to scheduled operations aboard the International Space Station." The astronauts removed their spacesuits and returned to work.
The aging infrastructure is showing its shortcomings.
The emergency follows months of discussions between NASA and Roscosmos over repeated small leaks in the Zvezda module, a critical life support and supporting structure that has been in orbit for more than two decades . Like an apartment building where something constantly breaks down, the ISS is increasingly showing its age due to similar maintenance crises. The safe haven protocol mirrors recent procedures used during space debris incidents—last summer, astronauts temporarily sheltered in the spacecraft when a Russian satellite disintegrated in nearby orbit.
Commercial spacecraft have proven their worth.
Friday's incident underscored the importance of having several manned spacecraft, The use of lifeboats docked as lifeboats is a targeted risk mitigation strategy that is becoming increasingly important as the ISS equipment ages. Stevens emphasized that NASA continues to work with international partners on a "longer-term solution" to the Zvezda leak. Expect more creative engineering solutions as everyone quietly accelerates planning for commercial space stations that won't require decades-old repairs to maintain their seal.
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