NASA Orders ISS Evacuation After Russian Plan to Drill Leak-Prone Tunnel
NASA told crew members to prepare for emergency departure from the International Space Station after Roscosmos proposed drilling and sawing the Russian Zvezda module tunnel to fix a recurring air leak.
NASA instructed the Crew-12 astronauts to ready the SpaceX Dragon capsule for a possible emergency return on June 5, after Roscosmos indicated it would attempt to repair a persistent air leak in the PrK transfer tunnel attached to the Zvezda module. The tunnel, which is normally depressurized, had been sealed earlier in the year but began leaking again in May, losing an estimated 2-4 pounds of air per day.
Roscosmos officials initially suggested using a drill to puncture the hull of the tunnel, a proposal that NASA questioned and rejected. After further negotiations, Russian engineers reportedly considered using a saw to cut a load-bearing bracket, prompting NASA to issue the evacuation order as a precaution.
The standoff was resolved when Roscosmos abandoned the repair plan and announced it would decommission the PrK tunnel, ceasing any future pressurization of the passage and eliminating the immediate risk of an explosive failure. The tunnel will remain usable for fluid transfer but will no longer serve as a cargo transfer route.
The incident occurs as discussions continue about extending the ISS’s operational life, with a pending NASA Authorization Act potentially lengthening service to 2032. The episode highlights ongoing coordination challenges between the United States and Russia on the aging orbital laboratory.