ISS Astronauts Had To Shelter In Place In The SpaceX Dragon Capsule Because Of An Air Leak

NASA directed astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to shelter in place and prepare for a potential evacuation, according to a report by the BBC. This comes after the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos discovered an air leak in the transfer tunnel while docking a cargo ship.

Five of the seven astronauts currently aboard the ISS sheltered in place inside the docked SpaceX Dragon vessel. The ship was designated as a “safe haven” as two Russian cosmonauts attempted a repair. The air leaks resulted from cracks in the transfer tunnel.

The Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, has suffered from cracks and leaks for some time, and has been mitigated by Roscosmos as much as possible to date. The cracks have always been a concern that NASA watches very closely. NASA and Roscosmos have been working…

— Bethany Stevens (@NASASpox) June 5, 2026

NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens says that astronauts have since resumed planned operations aboard the ISS, as the Russian cosmonauts paused repair efforts “as more measurements and data is assessed.” She also says that the space agency looks “forward to working with Roscosmos on a collaborative approach to address the leaks.”

We don’t have a timeline right now. When this first happened, NASA suggested that the cosmonauts were conducting a serious repair operation today. However, that looks to have been put on hold for some reason.

This isn’t the first time the station has had to deal with this problem, as these cracks have been causing sporadic issues for around six years. Astronauts have performed patchwork fixes that weren’t designed to last. The next repair mission is likely to be a more extensive operation that seeks to eliminate the problem once and for all.