A private astronaut mission has lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, exposing a new twist in the ongoing issue of air leaks at the International Space Station (ISS). The Ax-4 mission, carried out by SpaceX and Axiom Space, aims to conduct 60 science experiments over two weeks, but it also brings attention to the lingering problem of air leaks from a Russia-controlled module.
Leaks in the Zvezda transfer tunnel have been ongoing since 2019, with cracks that are almost invisible to the naked eye. Engineers at NASA and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, have been working to seal the cracks, but recent tests have raised concerns about the potential for new leaks. According to NASA, engineers are concerned that a new leak may have formed on an interior wall of the module, causing air from the rest of the station to rush into the damaged area.
This could lead to a significant loss of air pressure in the station, posing a risk to the crew and the overall safety of the mission. NASA has delayed the launch of Ax-4 to allow for further research on the issue, but the results are still unclear.
The situation highlights the challenges of maintaining the ISS’s systems, particularly with regards to the Russian module. The two space agencies have had differing opinions on the cause of the leaks, and it remains to be seen how this will affect future operations on the station.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/25/science/axiom-space-iss-leak-zvezda-module