ISS Mission Delayed Amid Russian Segment Leak Concerns
The International Space Station (ISS) has postponed the highly anticipated Axiom-4 private astronaut mission—featuring crew from India, Poland, and Hungary—due to a persistent air leak in the Russian Zvezda module. NASA and Roscosmos are conducting further investigations to ensure crew safety and station integrity before resuming new missions.
While the current ISS crew remains safe and station operations continue, the delay underscores ongoing challenges with the aging Russian segment. A new launch date for Axiom-4 will be announced once the situation is fully assessed.
Russian cosmonauts recently inspected the module, sealed suspected areas, and measured the current leak rate. NASA reported that after these efforts, the segment is now "holding pressure"12345.
Despite these repairs, a "new pressure signature" was detected, prompting NASA and Roscosmos to continue monitoring and evaluating the situation1345.
The leak has been described as small but persistent, with similar issues in this module dating back several years25.
The exact leak rate and technical details have not been disclosed, but officials emphasize that the seven astronauts currently aboard the ISS are safe and that station operations remain unaffected125.