NASA briefly directed astronauts aboard the International Space Station to shelter in a docked SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on June 5, 2026, after an air leak in the station’s Russian segment worsened.
The alert was later lifted, and the crew returned to planned operations after Roscosmos paused repair work and NASA determined there was no immediate danger.
NASA issued the order directing five astronauts to move into the Crew Dragon spacecraft and prepare for a possible evacuation, reversing it about two hours later.
The leak is in the Russian Zvezda service module, an area of the station that has had recurring pressure-loss problems for years.
According to Roscosmos, two leaks were found during pressure checks. One was sealed with a hermetic compound, while work on the second was paused so engineers could review additional data.
The Russian space agency said station pressure remained stable and there was no immediate threat to the crew or station systems.
The incident did not result in an evacuation for the time being, but it did place part of the crew in a higher state of readiness while Russian cosmonauts worked on the leak issue on their side of the station, and served as a preparedness drill should an actual evacuation become necessary.
The Zvezda leak has been one of the most closely watched technical issues aboard the aging ISS. NASA and Roscosmos have previously said the affected area can be isolated from the rest of the station if needed, but the long-running leak has remained a concern as the outpost approaches the final years of its operating life.
The ISS has been continuously occupied for more than 25 years. NASA currently plans to operate the station through the end of the decade before deorbiting it in the early 2030s.
