NASA Offers Temporary Housing for Space Station Astronauts in SpaceX’s Dragon Amid Leak Issues

On Friday, NASA temporarily housed five astronauts in a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft that was docked at the International Space Station, while Russian astronauts addressed a leaking service module.

Bethany Stevens, a NASA representative, initially reported on X that Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, had identified further leaks in its service module, prompting an “extensive repair operation.”

“As a precaution, NASA advised all four members of SpaceX Crew-12, along with NASA astronaut Chris Williams, to remain in an elevated safety status inside the Dragon spacecraft during the repair activities,” she stated. “We are actively collaborating with our Russian partners and the broader international community to find a more permanent solution.”

However, about an hour later, Stevens conveyed that Roscosmos had suspended repair efforts to evaluate “additional measurements and data.”

“Given this situation, NASA has directed the crew in the Dragon spacecraft to cease safe haven protocols and resume normal operations aboard the International Space Station.”

The Russian service module has experienced leakage problems for an extended period. Stevens underscored on Friday that these cracks “have consistently been a concern that NASA closely monitors.”

SpaceX has yet to release any statements regarding this issue.

At present, ten individuals are on board the ISS. Four of them (two NASA astronauts, one European Space Agency astronaut, and one Russian cosmonaut) joined the station in February as part of the long-duration SpaceX Crew-12 mission. The remaining three (one NASA astronaut and two cosmonauts) arrived last November via a Russian Soyuz mission.

The repair operation and temporary shelter protocol occur amidst ongoing uncertainties surrounding the future of the International Space Station. With new leadership from Jared Isaacman, NASA is advocating for the replacement of the aging station with commercially built modules within the next decade.

This story has been updated to reflect the end of the sheltering process.