NASA Responds to Increased Air Leak in ISS Russian Segment, Crew Temporarily Sheltered
NASA temporarily moved part of the International Space Station (ISS) crew to shelter mode after an unexpected increase in the air leak rate in the Russian module, Zvezda. Five astronauts were instructed to move to the Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the station, preparing for a possible evacuation. The alert was lifted two hours later, allowing the astronauts to return to normal operations. The air leak volume increased approximately twofold compared to normal levels, raising concerns among mission leaders. Russian cosmonauts planned to use tools to access the suspected damage site, but NASA deemed this approach risky. Roscosmos reported two air leaks, one of which was quickly managed, while work on the second continued. The Russian side emphasized that there is no threat to the crew or the station's main systems. Discussions between NASA and Roscosmos have been ongoing regarding the tightness issues of the Zvezda module. 
