ISS crew shelters in Dragon as Roscosmos tackles worsening air leak
A decade-old air leak on the ISS just escalated to its highest risk level, forcing astronauts into a SpaceX capsule.
The air leak that forced five ISS crew members into a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft this week is not a new problem. It has persisted since September 2019, originating in the PrK tunnel—a small passage connecting a docking port to the Russian Zvezda service module. Microscopic structural cracks have slowly released air into space. The leak worsened over time, doubling to nearly one kilogram of air lost per day, prompting NASA to classify it as the station's highest-level safety risk. Earlier this year, engineers thought they had stabilized the leak after applying sealants, but doubts remained.
Those doubts proved justified when sensors detected a fresh pressure drop on May 1, shortly after a Progress supply spacecraft docked. By this week, the leak had again escalated to a kilogram per day. Roscosmos abandoned its temporary fixes and initiated a proper repair today. The crew sheltered in the Dragon capsule as a precaution: if the cracks widen during the repair, the rate of air loss could accelerate faster than ground teams can compensate, and the Dragon can undock and return to Earth within hours. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges of maintaining aging space station infrastructure.
- Leak in the PrK tunnel of the Russian Zvezda module has persisted since 2019, now losing ~1 kg of air per day.
- NASA classified it as the highest safety risk; earlier sealant applications proved temporary.
- Crew took refuge in a SpaceX Crew Dragon to enable rapid evacuation if the leak worsens during repairs.
Why It Matters
Aging ISS infrastructure poses growing risks; Dragon's emergency shelter capability ensures crew safety during complex repairs.