Air leak alarm on the ISS: NASA directs astronauts to Dragon capsule as a precaution

A long-monitored air leak in the Russian section of the International Space Station (ISS) prompted a new safety measure on June 5. NASA requested that some astronauts wait briefly in the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule during Roscosmos's repair preparations.

NASA's mission control center in Houston instructed the four-person Crew Dragon team, who have been on the station since February, to move to the capsule. NASA astronaut Chris Williams, who arrived at the ISS via a Soyuz spacecraft in November, was also included in the same precaution.

The focus of the measure is the transition section called PrK in Russia's Zvezda module. A small-scale leak has been monitored for years in this section, which connects the docking port to the rest of the module. While it was reported that the leak had increased in recent days, Roscosmos planned a more comprehensive operation involving cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev.

NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens stated that the Crew Dragon team and Chris Williams were moved to a "higher safety position" during the repair. However, the plan changed within about two hours; Roscosmos did not carry out the repair, and the cosmonauts only took measurements and collected data for evaluation. Following this, NASA allowed the astronauts to exit the capsule and return to their normal duties.

TWO POSSIBLE POINTS IDENTIFIED FOR THE LEAK

According to Roscosmos, Russian flight control teams detected an air leak while re-pressurizing the PrK section. Two possible leak points were identified during the inspections. It was reported that one of these points was sealed with a temporary sealant, while preparations for the second area are ongoing.

The Russian space agency announced that the leak does not pose a threat to the station or the crew, and that the air pressure inside the ISS remains at normal levels.

The issue in the PrK section is not new. NASA and Roscosmos have been monitoring the leak in question for years. It was thought that repairs made last year had stopped the leak, but it was revealed at the ISS advisory board meeting in April that the two agencies still do not share the same view regarding the root cause of the leak.

For this reason, the hatch between the PrK and the rest of the Zvezda module is usually kept closed. The section is opened when access to docked Progress vehicles is required. NASA states that it aims to develop a more coordinated and joint approach with Roscosmos for future leak-related work.

News Source: 12punto