Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) were ordered to take shelter in a docked SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on Friday after a worsening air leak prompted safety concerns. Five of the seven crew members entered the Dragon "Freedom" and prepared for a potential emergency evacuation.

The remaining two crew members, Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev, attempted to repair a section of the Russian segment where the leak had intensified since Monday. However, NASA disagreed with their repair method, which reportedly involved using a saw to access the crack, and ordered the shelter-in-place procedure.

The leak originated in the PrK transfer tunnel leading to the Zvezda service module. Cracks in this area have caused intermittent issues for about six years. A fresh pressure drop was detected after the arrival of a Russian Progress cargo ship last month, prompting the repair attempt.

NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens stated on X: "Given this development, NASA has instructed the crew members inside the Dragon spacecraft to end the safe haven procedures and return to planned operations aboard the International Space Station."

Russian state news agency Tass, citing Roscosmos, reported that there was no threat to crew safety or station systems. The ISS, a football-field-sized structure, has been continuously operated since 1998 by a consortium led by the US and Russia, including Canada, Japan, and 11 European countries.

Source: www.bbc.com