The United States space agency (NASA) said on the 5th that due to an air leak in the Russian segment of the International Space Station, five astronauts were briefly prepared to evacuate at any time.
The International Space Station has been continuously inhabited for 25 years. This aging outpost is expected to retire in 2030, at which time it will be deliberately crashed into a remote area of the Pacific Ocean.
According to a NASA spokesperson, three American astronauts, one French astronaut, and one Russian astronaut received orders at 9:04 a.m. Eastern Time on the 5th from NASA mission control to enter the Crew Dragon spacecraft, made by the American company SpaceX and docked with the station, to take shelter.
It is reported that the five astronauts followed instructions and put on their spacesuits in case the air leak worsened and an emergency evacuation was needed. About two hours later, NASA revoked its previous order and informed the astronauts that they could return to the station. Meanwhile, NASA and its Russian counterparts are investigating the air leak.
As the two main operators of the space station, NASA and Russia's space agency have been arguing for several months over the cause of a small air leak on the Russian Zvezda service module and possible repair solutions.
The International Space Station is as long as a football field and is the largest man-made object in space. Since 1998, it has been operated continuously by a cooperative alliance led primarily by the United States and Russia, with participation from Canada, Japan, and 11 European countries.