NASA on Friday ordered its International Space Station astronauts (the four members of the SpaceX Crew-12 crew and astronaut Chris Williams) to isolate themselves in the Dragon spacecraft while the Russian agency Roscosmos carried out repairs.
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NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens reported that the Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, has suffered cracks and leaks for some time, which Roscosmos “has mitigated as much as possible to date.”
“Cracks have always been a concern that NASA monitors very closely. NASA and Roscosmos have been working to determine the root cause of these cracks, and Roscosmos manages the problem through operational mitigation measures and periodic partial repair work,” she explained.
Following new leaks, Roscosmos decided to proceed with a more extensive repair operation this Friday. As a precaution, NASA ordered the four agency members belonging to the SpaceX Crew-12 mission, as well as NASA astronaut Chris Williams, to adopt a maximum safety posture in the Dragon spacecraft while the repair was underway.
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Stevens assured that they are working with the Russian agency, along with the rest of the international community that supports the space station, to reach a “more permanent” solution.
After Roscosmos paused structural repair work this Friday inside the Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, while further measurements and data are evaluated, NASA instructed crew members inside the Dragon spacecraft to end safe haven procedures and resume planned operations aboard the International Space Station.
“We look forward to working with Roscosmos on a collaborative approach to fix the leaks,” the NASA spokesperson emphasized after the astronauts resumed their work.
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