NASA and Axiom Space have indefinitely postponed the launch of the private Ax-4 mission. The reason for this was a persistent air leak in the Russian module of the ISS.
Greatest threat to the ISS
Air leakage in the Zvezda module was detected in 2019. It is located in a transition chamber that separates the docking port from the rest of the module. Despite numerous attempts by the astronauts to find the leak and stop it, it didn’t slow down, but actually got worse.
The situation is complicated by the fact that NASA and Roscosmos disagree on the seriousness of the problem. NASA is worried about a catastrophic scenario where the transition chamber could be totally destroyed. Roscosmos insists that this is impossible and that concerns about leaks are exaggerated.
Because of this disagreement, every time the hatch to the transition compartment is opened, astronauts take extra safety measures, which involve closing the hatch between the Russian and American segments of the ISS. According to NASA experts, the leak poses a major threat to the safety of the ISS and could affect its operational life.
In early June, Russian cosmonauts conducted another inspection of the airlock and attempted to seal additional problem areas to eliminate the leak. It takes time to understand the success of an operation. For this reason, NASA decided to postpone the launch of Ax-4. This will provide the time necessary to monitor the situation and, if necessary, carry out additional repair work.
Ax-4 Mission
The Ax-4 mission will be the fourth private flight to the ISS. Its crew consists of four people: former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson (commander), Indian Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Hungarian engineer Tibor Kapu, and Polish engineer Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. For representatives from India, Poland, and Hungary, this flight will be their first visit to the ISS in history.
In addition, Shubhanshu Shukla is part of a group of four pilots who will be among the crew members of India’s Gaganyaan spacecraft. It is highly likely that he will command India’s first national space mission.
According to NASA, launch opportunities for Ax-4 will be available until the end of June and then starting in the second week of July. However, if the delay proves to be significant, it could affect the schedule for the Crew-11 mission, which is set to launch at the end of July.
According to Spacenews
