Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have been placed on heightened alert as engineers work to repair persistent air leaks in a section of the orbiting laboratory.
NASA said it has instructed members of its Crew-12 mission to prepare for a possible evacuation while Russian specialists carry out repairs on the affected area of the station.
According to NASA spokesperson, Bethany Stevens, the issue involves the Zvezda service module tunnel, located in the Russian segment of the ISS, which has experienced cracks and air leaks for an extended period. While the problem has been monitored and previous repair efforts undertaken by Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, new leaks prompted a more extensive repair operation.
As a precaution, NASA directed its Crew-12 astronauts, along with NASA astronaut Chris Williams, to remain in an elevated state of readiness inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft during the repair work.
The International Space Station, launched in 1998, is jointly operated by space agencies from the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada, with day-to-day operations coordinated by NASA and Roscosmos.
Seven astronauts are currently living and working aboard the station.
