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

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

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

“As a precaution, NASA recommended that all four members of SpaceX Crew-12, along with NASA astronaut Chris Williams, maintain an elevated safety status inside the Dragon spacecraft during the repairs,” she stated. “We are actively working with our Russian colleagues and the wider international community supporting the space station to seek a more permanent solution.”

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

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

The Russian service module has been experiencing leaks for a considerable time. Stevens highlighted on Friday that the cracks “have consistently been a concern that NASA closely monitors.”

SpaceX has yet to offer any comments regarding the situation.

Currently, ten individuals are aboard the ISS. Four of them (two NASA astronauts, one European Space Agency astronaut, and one Russian cosmonaut) arrived 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 regarding the future of the International Space Station. Under the new leadership of Jared Isaacman, NASA is advocating for the replacement of the aging station with commercially produced modules later this decade.

This story has been updated to indicate that the sheltering has concluded.