Axiom-4 launch: Space station leak concerns can further delay lift-off of mission carrying Indian Gaganyatri
The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, which is expected to carry four astronauts to the International Space Station, has already faced postponement four times.
Now, a new concern has emerged for India's Shubhanshu Shukla, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Poland's Sławosz Uznański and Hungary's Tibor Kapu. Shukla will be only the second Indian astronaut in space, after Rakesh Sharma's 1984 mission.
The launch of Axiom-4 has been postponed indefinitely owing to concerns of a leak reported from the International Space Station. Owing to the issue, NASA said Thursday that it would monitor the cabin pressure on the Russian side of the ISS before the mission is launched.
However, NASA assured that the seven astronauts already in the ISS were safe, adding that operations on the space station can not be affected following the leak.
The cabin pressure leak on the Zvezda service module is being handled by the country's space agency. However, recent repairs to resolve the issue led to 'a new pressure signature', according to NASA. However, no other details on the issue have been provided yet.
However, the delay of Axiom-4 opens up time for NASA and the Russian Space Agency to carry out evaluations and see whether there is a need for more repairs.
The three Russian astronauts who are currently on the space station had already inspected the walls of the service module, sealing a few areas and finding out the current leak rate.
The mission was postponed for the fourth time on Wednesday evening. It will carry a four-member crew on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the ISS. This includes Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, who is the mission pilot, Peggy Whitson, the mission commander, and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański and Tibor Kapu.
The launch was initially scheduled for May 29. Speaking on the delay, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman V Narayanan said that a leakage had been detected in the propulsion bay.
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