The Space Station is leaking, forcing private mission to be delayed
Four private astronauts are waiting to launch into space as NASA and its international partners work to seal a leak that sprung up on the International Space Station earlier this month.
NASA Astronaut Don Pettit captured this amazing view of auroras across Earth’s atmosphere from the perspective of the International Space Station on April 5.
A small leak has sprung up on the International Space Station, causing an upcoming mission to be delayed as NASA and its international partners work to repair the issue.
The leak, identified earlier this month, is not significant but must be properly sealed in a timely manner to ensure the safety of the astronauts currently living on the station, which orbits approximately 260 miles above Earth.
"The leaks, located in the aft (back) most segment of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module, have been monitored by flight controllers for the past few years," NASA said on June 14.
"Following the most-recent repair, pressure in the transfer tunnel has been stable," the agency added. "Previously, pressure in this area would have dropped. This could indicate the small leaks have been sealed."
This undated handout photo released by Roscosmos State Space Corporation on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022 shows the International Space Station (ISS) during its fly. (Roscosmos State Space Corporation via AP)
The repair work has caused the upcoming privately-crewed Axiom Space mission to the station to be delayed several times, with the launch now slated for no earlier than Sunday, June 22.
"It is not uncommon for the agency and its international partners to adjust launches around changes in operations aboard the space station," NASA said.
Earlier in the month, before the leak was detected, the launch was delayed due to weather.
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon capsule stands ready for launch on pad 39A for a mission to the International Space Station at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
The four-person crew includes former astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has spent more than 675 cumulative days in space, more than any other NASA astronaut on record.
When work on fixing the leak is complete, the Axiom Space crew will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The crew will conduct nearly 60 scientific experiments while the astronauts live on the Space Station with the seven astronauts currently aboard the celestial outpost.
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