International Space Station astronauts told to prepare for potential evacuation amid air leaks

By Reuters 5 June 2026, 5:17 pm

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This still image from a NASA livestream shows Crew-12 member US astronaut Jessica Meir aboard the International Space Station on February 14, 2026. (HANDOUT / NASA / AFP)

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are ordered by NASA to shelter in their spacecraft and prepare for potential evacuation as a Russian crew attempts to fix a worsening leak of air on its portion of the orbital laboratory, NASA says.

The four astronauts of NASA’s Crew-12 mission on the station – two US astronauts, a French astronaut and Russian cosmonaut – got orders from NASA mission control to enter their Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the station and don their spacesuits in case the air leak warrants an emergency evacuation, a NASA official says.