NASA ordered astronauts aboard the International Space Station to shelter inside a docked spacecraft as Russian engineers worked to repair an air leak in the Russian section of the orbiting laboratory.
The shelter order was issued Friday, according to the Washington Times. The leak is located on the Russian side of the International Space Station, multiple sources reported. Russian engineers and cosmonauts worked to repair the leak in what the BBC described as a "tunnel area" of the station.
Sources provided varying accounts of the number of crew members affected by the shelter order. PBS Newshour and the Daily Caller reported that five astronauts moved into the SpaceX capsule that is docked at the station. The Washington Times reported that four astronauts aboard the International Space Station were ordered to shelter. NDTV also reported four astronauts, identifying them as members of NASA's Crew-12 mission. The BBC reported the safe-haven procedure applied to "five other astronauts onboard."
The Washington Times reported that astronauts were ordered to don their spacesuits before sheltering inside the docked spacecraft. According to PBS Newshour, the five astronauts moved into the SpaceX capsule while cosmonauts worked to fix the leak on the Russian side of the orbiting laboratory.
The Daily Caller reported that NASA has since ended the shelter order that had prompted crew members to seek shelter. The outlet characterized the incident as involving air leaks in the Russian section of the station.
Live Science described the incident as a "brief leak scare" on the International Space Station. The outlet noted that the event complicates NASA and Congress' plans to extend the station's lifespan to at least 2032. Live Science characterized the procedure as a "safe haven" protocol following what it described as "worsening leaks" on the International Space Station.
Both the Washington Times and Live Science described the air leak as "worsening" in their coverage of the incident.
The BBC reported that the Russian attempt to repair the tunnel area "sparks safe-haven procedure" for astronauts onboard. NDTV characterized the situation as astronauts being in "evacuation mode" as Russians worked to fix the air leak.
According to Live Science, NASA and Congress have plans to extend the station's lifespan to at least 2032, though the recent leak incident adds to ongoing maintenance considerations for the orbiting laboratory.
The shelter order has been lifted, according to the Daily Caller, and normal operations are expected to resume as Russian engineers continue their repair work on the affected section of the station.
Read the original coverage
💬 Comments
📜 Comment Policy