NASA reverses evacuation alert for astronauts aboard International Space Station

An escalating air leak aboard the International Space Station (ISS) prompted NASA to issue a temporary evacuation alert for five astronauts on Friday. The astronauts were instructed to take shelter in their SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for approximately two hours while Russian and American space agencies worked to address the issue.

“

The four astronauts of Nasa’s Crew-12 mission aboard the station two Americans, a French astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut along with another US astronaut were ordered by Nasa mission control at 9:04am ET (1304 GMT) on Friday to enter their SpaceX-built Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the station.

The alert was issued at 9:04 a.m. ET (1304 GMT) and involved two NASA astronauts, one European Space Agency astronaut, and two Russian cosmonauts. NASA mission control reversed the order about two hours later, informing the crew they could return to the station as the situation was being evaluated.

“

Nasa reversed that order roughly two hours later and told the astronauts they could return to the station as the agency and its Russian counterparts examined the rate of leaking air.

NASA and Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, have been discussing the cause and potential fixes for minor air leaks originating from Russia's Zvezda service module for months. Roscosmos stated on Friday that its experts identified two leaks but emphasized there was no immediate danger to the crew. They reported that the first leak was successfully sealed, and preparations were underway to address the second.

“

Its experts had detected two leaks aboard the ISS but that there was no immediate threat to the crew. The first leak was quickly sealed, and preparations were underway to seal the second one, Roscosmos said, adding that there was no threat to the spacecraft’s systems.

The air leaks, while minor in recent months, reportedly increased from leaking one pound of air per day to two pounds on Friday. A senior NASA official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the escalation. The ISS is currently home to seven astronauts from two different missions. Astronauts have never had to evacuate the ISS in its 27-year history.

“

We look forward to working with Roscosmos on a collaborative approach to address the leaks.