ISS Crew Takes Shelter in Dragon Capsule During Space Station Leak Repair

Five of the seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) were briefly moved into the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, designated a "safe haven," on Friday, June 5, 2026. The move came as two Russian cosmonauts began efforts to address two small air leaks detected in a compartment at the rear of the Zvezda service module. Russian space agency Roscosmos stated that the station was not in danger and that one leak had already been sealed, with preparations underway for the second.

Cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev were tasked with the repair work in the Zvezda module's transfer tunnel, known as PrK. The compartment is located where visiting cargo and Soyuz crew ships dock. Roscosmos confirmed that the situation posed no threat to the crew or onboard systems, with station pressure remaining stable. During an inspection, potential leak locations were identified. The first was sealed with a specialized compound, while work commenced on the second, situated on the conical part of the compartment.

This precautionary measure saw ISS crew members Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, along with NASA astronaut Chris Williams, take shelter in the Crew Dragon. NASA instructed them to end the safe haven procedures once the repair efforts were paused and the crewmates returned to normal operations aboard the station.

Context of ISS Air Leaks

Small air leaks have been a recurring issue on the ISS for several years, particularly in the tunnel segment at the rear of the station. Efforts to locate and repair these leaks have yielded mixed results. The compartment is periodically isolated and depressurized to minimize further air loss. The decision to move crew to the safe haven was made out of an abundance of caution while flight controllers assessed the situation and while Roscosmos elected to proceed with a more extensive repair operation.

The temporary relocation highlighted the close collaboration between NASA and Roscosmos, as well as the other international partners supporting the space station. "We continue to work with our Russian counterparts, along with the rest of the international community that supports the space station, to arrive at a more permanent solution," a NASA spokeswoman stated. The agency's flight controllers directed the crew members to the Dragon capsule after Roscosmos decided to proceed with the repair.

As the five crew members gathered in the Dragon capsule, mission control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston engaged in lighthearted banter. "You just couldn't watch any more of this, huh?" mission control remarked, to which Jessica Meir replied, "We love being on board with you guys, but we wanted to give you your privacy while you're having family camp-out day in Dragon." The crew's "camp-out day" was short-lived, however, as the repair effort was later paused, allowing them to return to their regular duties on the sprawling orbital laboratory.

The incident underscores the ongoing challenges of maintaining a complex orbital outpost like the ISS, where routine maintenance and unexpected repairs are part of life in orbit. The successful sealing of one leak and the ongoing work on a second demonstrate the capabilities of the cosmonauts and the robust safety protocols in place to protect the crew and the integrity of the International Space Station.