NASA Delays Private Mission to ISS as Russian Module Leak Worsens

A worrying development with an air leak at the International Space Station (ISS) prompted NASA to delay the launch of the Axiom Mission 4 mission indefinitely for current surveys.

NASA Thursday announcement That he worked with the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, to understand a “new pressure signature” in a segment of the Zvezda service module. Consequently, the space of NASA and the Axiom postponed the Launch of the fourth private company mission at the ISSwhich was scheduled for Wednesday, without fixing a new date.

The ROSCOSMOS space agency reported for the first time the flight in August 2020. It was found in the Russian module for the care of Zvezda, which Russia launched in terrestrial orbit in July 2000. Since then, the pace to which the air of the Zvezda service module doubled from one book a day to just over two books a dayAccording to a report published in 2024.

This week, NASA revealed that the Russian cosmonauts aboard the ISS “recently carried out inspections of the interior surfaces of the pressure module, sealed certain areas of additional interest and measured the current leakage rate.” After the inspections, it was revealed that the “segment now maintains the pressure,” wrote NASA.

“The postponement of Axiom Mission 4 offers an additional time to NASA and ROSCOSMOS to assess the situation and determine whether additional troubleshooting is necessary,” NASA said in its press release. “NASA withdraws from Roscosmos to answer specific questions about the Zvezda module.”

Last year, NASA raised the leak at the highest level of risk. At the time, it was reported that NASA and ROSCOSMOS could not agree on the deep cause of the flight or a way to repair it. It still seems to be the case today. Although NASA has pointed out that the flight represents no immediate threat to astronauts currently on board, the recent postponement of the AX-4 mission is worrying; The delay is to raise questions about the mission and its international crew.

Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut which holds the national record for the most cumulative days spent in the space, is commander of mission, joined by the Shubhanshu Shukla pilot of India, specialist in the Sławosz Uznański-WiśNewski mission of Poland, and specialist in the Tibor Kapu mission of Hungary. The three countries send astronauts to the ISS for the first time in the more than 25 years of history of the station – although the moment is far from ideal, the station with aging equipment.