A computer rendering of the configuration of the International Space Station as of May 17, 2026. Six spaceships are parked at the space station including the SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon, the SpaceX Crew-12 Dragon, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL, the Soyuz MS-28 crew ship, and the Progress 94 and 95 resupply ships. Graphic: NASA
Previously unannounced repair work to stop new leaks onboard the International Space Station temporarily caused NASA to send all four members of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission as well as NASA astronaut Chris Williams into the Dragon capsule, Freedom, on Friday.
Cracks and leaks have popped up within the Russian segment of the space station within the Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, called the PrK, off and on over the past six years or so. However, NASA said the discovery of “new leaks” caused the Russian space agency Roscosmos “to proceed with a more extensive repair operation on Friday, June 5.”
“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,” said NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens on Friday.
