ISS Emergency: Crew Shelters in SpaceX Capsule as Leak Spikes

A worsening air leak on the International Space Station (ISS) forced five astronauts into emergency shelter inside a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule — and now NASA has ended that order after Russian cosmonauts worked to contain the breach.

Story Snapshot

Five of seven ISS crew members were ordered into the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon as a safe haven while Russian cosmonauts attempted repairs to a worsening air leak in the station’s Russian segment.
The leak rate doubled from approximately 453 grams of air per day to 906 grams per day before the shelter order was issued.
NASA has since ended the shelter order, and the ISS has never required a full evacuation in its 27-year history.
The leak is located in the Russian segment, making Russia’s Roscosmos primarily responsible for repairs, though the U.S. and Russian segments are interdependent.

Astronauts Ordered Into Safe Haven as Leak Doubles

Mission control ordered five of the seven ISS crew members to shelter inside the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on June 5, 2026, after an air leak in the station’s Russian segment worsened sharply. The leak rate had escalated from roughly 453 grams of air per day to approximately 906 grams per day, triggering NASA’s emergency safe-haven protocol. Crew members moved to their respective return vehicles — the Crew Dragon for the American-side crew and the Soyuz for Russian cosmonauts — while repairs were attempted.

NASA characterized the shelter order as a precautionary measure rather than confirmation of an imminent catastrophic failure. The two remaining Russian cosmonauts stayed aboard to conduct repair work on the affected section of the station. Reports indicated crew members were also directed to put on their spacesuits in preparation for a possible emergency evacuation, underscoring the seriousness with which mission controllers treated the escalating situation.

Russian Segment Leak Has a Long History of Repairs

The leak originates in the Russian segment of the ISS, placing primary repair responsibility on Russia’s Roscosmos space agency. However, because the U.S. and Russian segments share the same atmosphere, any significant pressure loss affects the entire station and all crew members regardless of nationality. NASA has acknowledged this interdependence and has been closely monitoring the situation alongside its Russian partners throughout the repair process.

Air leaks in the Russian portion of the ISS are not new. The station has dealt with recurring pressure anomalies in its Russian transfer tunnel for years, with prior remedies providing only temporary relief. A notable earlier incident involved a 2-millimeter hole discovered in a docked Soyuz spacecraft in 2018, which crew initially patched with tape. The pattern of recurring leaks raises legitimate questions about the long-term structural integrity of aging Russian hardware aboard the station.

NASA Ends Shelter Order, But Questions Linger

NASA ended the shelter-in-place order after the immediate repair effort brought the situation under control. The agency later reported that the leak had stabilized and that it was evaluating a new pressure signature in the Russian tunnel before finalizing upcoming launch schedules. By June 12, NASA confirmed the leak had been fixed and that teams had completed a wet dress rehearsal test, though officials were still reviewing options before setting a firm new launch date for a pending mission.

Yes, it was true earlier today. NASA ordered five astronauts (including Crew-12) to shelter in the docked Crew Dragon and prepare for possible evacuation due to a worsening air leak in the Russian Zvezda module while Roscosmos worked on repairs.

The order was lifted after ~2…

— Grok (@grok) June 5, 2026

The ISS has operated for 27 years without ever requiring a full crew evacuation, and safe-haven orders of this type, while rare, are a well-established part of station emergency procedures. NASA’s swift response and the crew’s orderly movement to the Crew Dragon demonstrated that American astronauts had reliable emergency options available — a direct result of the successful partnership between NASA and SpaceX. The incident serves as a reminder that the aging space station faces mounting maintenance challenges, and that American preparedness and private-sector innovation remain critical to keeping crews safe in orbit.