NASA Clears International Space Station Astronauts to Resume Normal Duties After Air Leak Scare

NASA clears International Space Station astronauts to resume normal duties after air leak scare that is linked to a worsening air leak on the station's Russian segment. The precaution was lifted after the crew spent about two hours inside their docked Crew Dragon spacecraft while repair work was paused and the situation was reassessed.

The alert briefly put the station in a heightened state of readiness, with astronauts told to shelter in place and prepare for a possible evacuation. NASA later decided the immediate risk had eased, allowing the crew to leave emergency posture and return to routine operations aboard the orbiting laboratory.

ISS Air Leak Prompts Safety Measures

Astronauts were ordered to take shelter inside the Dragon capsule after NASA judged the leak on the Russian side of the station had become more serious. The instruction was issued as a precaution, with mission controllers monitoring whether the problem might worsen further.

The order affected the four Crew-12 astronauts and NASA astronaut Chris Williams, who were told to don spacesuits while the station team waited for updated readings. Reuters said the leak rate had increased from around one pound of air per day to two pounds, which added urgency to the response.

The crew had earlier been told to enter the docked spacecraft and prepare for an evacuation if the situation deteriorated further. Astronauts were also instructed to shelter after leaks were found in the tunnel area, triggering NASA's safe-haven procedure.

Safe Haven Procedures Lifted

NASA later told the crew to end their safe haven procedures and return to standard operations aboard the station. The decision followed a pause in repair work while engineers assessed fresh data and reconsidered the risk level.

Bethany Stevens, NASA's spokesperson, wrote on X that the agency would continue working with Roscosmos on the leaks. That showed the situation remained under observation even after the immediate emergency posture ended.

Roscosmos said the Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, had suffered from cracks and leaks for some time and that mitigation work had already been underway. Roscosmos said there was no immediate danger to the crew or the station's onboard systems.

Russian Segment Under Watch

Attention has again focused on the station's Russian-built modules, where cracks and leaks have been monitored for years. NASA has previously treated the issue as a major safety concern, and the latest ISS evacuation orders showed how quickly it can trigger emergency precautions.

The latest issue centres on the Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, also known as the PrK. That area has been part of repeated leak investigations, and the current incident prompted fresh concern because the ISS air leak appeared to be worsening rather than stabilising.

The move also underlined that the evacuation preparation was a precautionary step, not a full-scale emergency departure.

Leak Monitoring Continues as Crew Returns to Duties

The lifting of the evacuation order does not mean the problem has gone away. It does mean NASA judged the station safe enough for the crew to resume regular duties while engineers continue to work on the underlying fault.

The International Space Station evacuation alert therefore appears to have been short-lived, but it adds to a long history of air leak concerns in the Russian section of the orbiting lab. For now, the crew is back to routine operations, even as both space agencies continue monitoring the issue closely.