--- title: "ISS Astronauts Ordered to Enter Evacuation Mode" description: "Astronauts on board the International Space Station were ordered to shelter inside their spacecraft after discovering new \"cracks and leaks.\"" date: "2026-06-05" modified: "2026-06-05" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/space/iss-astronauts-evacuation-mode" categories: - "International Space Station" - "NASA" - "Off-World" - "Space" --- # ISS Astronauts Ordered to Enter Evacuation Mode ![Photo illustration featuring the international space station orbiting earth, treated in red.]() *Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Getty Images* Astronauts on board the International Space Station were ordered to shelter inside their spacecraft after discovering new "cracks and leaks" in the station's Russian segment's transfer tunnel, according to a [carefully-worded update]() by NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens. "Following new leaks, Roscosmos has elected to proceed with a more extensive repair operation on Friday, June 5," Stevens wrote. "Out of an abundance of caution, NASA has directed all four of the agency's SpaceX Crew-12 members and NASA astronaut Chris Williams to assume an elevated safety posture in the Dragon spacecraft while the repair is underway." "We continue to work with our Russian counterparts, along with the rest of the international community that supports the space station, to arrive at a more permanent resolution," she added. Stevens did not elaborate on what said "extensive repair operation" entailed, but given the decision to have the Crew-12 astronauts shelter in place inside their spacecraft, it could be a slightly more invasive than usual procedure. There's currently no reason to believe that crew members are in any danger. The ISS has struggled with leaks affecting the Russian segment [since at least September 2019](). Crew members have been busy hunting down these cracks using a wide variety of methods. In one particularly creative attempt in late 2020, cosmonauts [used a tea bag to locate a leak]() by having it slowly drift through the station while watching it with a camera. Subsequent leaks have forced NASA to [postpone spacecraft arrivals](), with NASA's inspector general [calling]() "ongoing cracks and air leaks in the Service Module Transfer Tunnel" a "top safety risk" in 2024. The ISS is slated to be [retired roughly four years from now]() after decades of permanent occupation by human crews. Unfortunately, its age is undeniably starting to show far ahead of its [fiery swan song through the Earth's atmosphere](). **More on leaks:** [*The Space Station Leak Is Rearing Its Ugly Head Again*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()