NASA Offers Temporary Shelter to Space Station Astronauts in SpaceX’s Dragon Due to Leak Concerns
On Friday, NASA temporarily accommodated five astronauts aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked at the International Space Station while their Russian counterparts addressed a leaking service module.
Bethany Stevens, a NASA spokesperson, shared on X that Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, discovered additional 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 raise their safety status within the Dragon spacecraft during the repair efforts,” she explained. “We are working closely with our Russian counterparts and the broader international community to find a more sustainable solution.”
However, approximately an hour later, Stevens announced that Roscosmos had paused repair work to re-evaluate “additional measurements and data.”
“In view of the situation, NASA has instructed the crew aboard the Dragon spacecraft to end safe haven protocols and return to normal operations on the International Space Station.”
The Russian service module has faced ongoing leakage issues. Stevens noted on Friday that these cracks “have been a persistent concern that NASA is actively monitoring.”
SpaceX has yet to comment on this matter.
Currently, the ISS accommodates ten individuals: four (two NASA astronauts, one European Space Agency astronaut, and one Russian cosmonaut) who arrived in February as part of the long-duration SpaceX Crew-12 mission, and the remaining three (one NASA astronaut and two cosmonauts) who came last November via a Russian Soyuz mission.
The repair operation and temporary shelter protocol occur amid ongoing uncertainties regarding the future of the International Space Station. With new leadership under Jared Isaacman, NASA aims to replace the aging station with commercially built modules over the coming decade.
This story has been updated to reflect the conclusion of the sheltering process.
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