ASTRONAUTS ABOARD THE International Space Station have been told to return to their normal activities, after earlier orders to start “safe haven procedures” because of an air leak.

The Zvezda service module tunnel, which connects the main part of the station to a Russian docking port known as PrK, has been cracking “for some time”, Nasa says.

The four Nasa crew members on board were today advised to elevate safety procedures “out of an abundance of caution”, and to allow Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, to carry out extensive repairs.

However, Roscosmos has now paused repairs while it collects more data.

“Given this development, Nasa has instructed the crew members inside the Dragon spacecraft to end the safe haven procedures and return to planned operations aboard the International Space Station,” Nasa spokesperson Bethany Stevens said.

Roscosmos has paused Friday’s structural repair efforts inside the Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, as more measurements and data is assessed. Given this development, NASA has instructed the crew members inside the Dragon spacecraft to end the safe haven…

— Bethany Stevens (@NASASpox) June 5, 2026

Stevens said in a statement posted to X earlier that the cracks “have always been a concern” and were being watched “very closely”.

“Nasa and Roscosmos (Russia’s space agency) have been working to determine the root cause of the cracks, and Roscosmos manages the issue through operational mitigation measures and periodic partial-repair efforts,” she said.

Stevens added that Nasa continues to work with Russia to find a more permanent solution.

The International Space Station is the largest human-made structure in space. It’s shared by the space agencies of the United States, Canada, Russia, Japan and the EU.

It serves as a research laboratory and testing ground for new technologies, as well as a permanent home for astronauts while they carry out the work.

There are currently seven people living and working on the International Space Station, which travels at a speed of five miles per second.

It orbits the Earth 16 times per day.

The space station is larger than a six-bedroom house with six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym, and a 360-degree view bay window.