NASA Astronauts Return to ISS After Russia Halts Leak Repairs

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station resumed normal operations on Friday following a brief emergency shelter-in-place order that saw five crew members take refuge in a docked SpaceX Dragon capsule while Russia’s space agency attempted urgent leak repairs in the station’s aging Russian segment.

The emergency protocols were triggered after new leaks were discovered in the Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, according to New York Post. The tunnel has been experiencing ongoing structural issues with cracks that Russia’s Roscosmos agency has been managing for some time.

NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens confirmed that astronauts had enacted safe haven procedures out of an abundance of caution while Roscosmos prepared to conduct more extensive repair work on the compromised section.

Four astronauts from the SpaceX Crew-12 mission along with NASA astronaut Chris Williams were directed to shelter in the Dragon spacecraft docked at the ISS as Russian engineers attempted the repair operation Friday. However, Roscosmos halted the work indefinitely, allowing the crew to return to normal station activities later that day.

International Crew Affected by Safety Measures

The Crew-12 mission, which launched on February 13, includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

Williams had arrived at the station separately on November 27, 2025, traveling aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

Stevens indicated that NASA and Roscosmos would pursue a collaborative approach to address the persistent leak problem in the Russian segment. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about the aging infrastructure of the International Space Station, particularly in the Russian modules which have experienced multiple pressure integrity issues in recent years.

With information from New York Post