NASA astronaut Chris Williams describes ISS evacuation alert during air‑leak repair

NASA astronaut Chris Williams said it was “not a great feeling” when he and his crew were ordered to prepare for a possible evacuation from the International Space Station while an air‑leak repair was underway. He called the incident “a very unusual day” aboard the orbiting outpost.

Williams explained that five crew members were directed by NASA mission control to take refuge in the docked Dragon spacecraft and to don their spacesuits for about two hours, while two Russian cosmonauts worked on the repair. The alert was triggered by concerns over cracks and leaks in the aging ISS, which is scheduled for retirement in 2030. NASA and its Moscow‑based counterpart Roscosmos coordinated the response.

Williams, who logged 241 days on his first eight‑month mission, returned to Earth on 26 July and recounted the event at a news conference at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.