Due to leaks in the Russian service module of the ISS, five crew members temporarily moved to the docked SpaceX spacecraft. Roscosmos carried out repairs while part of the crew waited in the Dragon. The procedure was soon canceled.
What happened at the station
On Friday, June 5, NASA ordered the four members of the Crew-12 crew and astronaut Chris Williams to move to the Dragon spacecraft for safety reasons. The decision was prompted by the discovery of new leaks in the Russian service module and the start of a “major repair operation.”
About an hour later, the agency called off the shelter procedure. Roscosmos suspended the repairs to evaluate the new data, and NASA returned the crew to their regular duties aboard the station.
Condition of the module
A leak has occurred in the PrK connecting tunnel, which is part of the Russian service module “Zvezda.” The issue has been known since 2019, and this week it has worsened, with the rate of air loss doubling to approximately 0.9 kg per day. NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens noted that the cracks “have always been under close observation” by the agency.
There are currently seven people on board the ISS. Four arrived in February as part of the Crew-12 mission, while the other three reached the station in November aboard Soyuz MS-28.
The future of the ISS
This situation is unfolding amid discussions about the station’s future. Under the new administrator, Jared Isaacman, NASA is pushing a plan to replace the ISS with commercial modules before the end of the decade.
The station is scheduled to be decommissioned at the end of 2030, and a controlled deorbiting is planned for early 2031. SpaceX has already been awarded a contract to develop a special spacecraft for this operation.
According to techcrunch.com, earthsky.org
