ISS Air Leak Emergency Evacuation Procedures Activated After Pressure Drop Detected in Russian Segment
FLIGHT CONTROLLERS AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS) ACTIVATED EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROTOCOLS ON MONDAY FOLLOWING THE DETECTION OF A SIGNIFICANT AIR LEAK IN THE RUSSIAN-MANAGED ZVEZDA SERVICE MODULE, OFFICIALS FROM NASA AND ROSS COSMOS CONFIRMED.
THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 14:30 UTC WHEN SENSORS INDICATED A RAPID DECLINE IN CABIN PRESSURE. AS STANDARD PROCEDURE, SEVEN CREW MEMBERS WERE DIRECTED TO PROCEED TO THE SOYUZ MS-25 AND CREW DRAGON ENDURANCE SPACECRAFT DOCKED AT THE STATION, BOTH CONFIGURED FOR IMMEDIATE DEPARTURE. GROUND TEAMS INITIATED A HARDWARE ISOLATION SEQUENCE, PINPOINTING THE LEAK ORIGIN TO A FLAWED WELD SEAM ON THE PRK (TRANSFER CHAMBER) SECTION OF THE ZVEZDA MODULE, WHICH HAS BEEN A KNOWN CONCERN SINCE 2019.
CREWS WERE STANDING BY FOR AN EMERGENCY UNDOCKING FOR APPROXIMATELY 87 MINUTES. HOWEVER, AUTOMATED VALVES SUCCESSFULLY SEALED THE AFFECTED SECTION, STABILIZING PRESSURE AT NOMINAL LEVELS WITHOUT REQUIRING A CABIN DEPRESSURIZATION. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED, AND THE STATION RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATIONS BY 16:45 UTC.
INVESTIGATORS ARE NOW ANALYZING METALLURGICAL