NASA directed five of the seven crew members aboard the International Space Station to move into the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft as a precautionary measure while repairs were conducted on air leaks in the Russian service module.

The space agency took the action out of an abundance of caution after Roscosmos discovered new leaks in the Russian segment of the station. The affected crew members waited inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon "Freedom" spacecraft while the leak repair work was underway.

Two crew members remained outside the Dragon capsule to assist with the repair efforts on the Russian service module. The Dragon spacecraft served as a "safe haven" for the crew during the maintenance operation.

The leak was located in the Russian service module, which is part of the station's Russian segment operated by Roscosmos. The Russian space agency was working to identify and fix the source of the air leaks.

This precautionary sheltering procedure allows crew members to quickly undock and return to Earth if the situation were to deteriorate, though the move was described as precautionary rather than an emergency evacuation. The International Space Station has experienced various technical issues over its more than two decades of operation, with crew safety protocols in place for such situations.