NASA Sets New Potential Launch Date For Ax-4 Mission To ISS

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PARIS — NASA says a private astronaut mission could launch to the International Space Station as soon as June 19 as it works to understand an air leak on the Russian segment of the station.

In a June 14 statement, NASA said it is working with Axiom Space and SpaceX on "reviewing launch opportunities" for the Ax-4 mission, with the earliest such opportunity on June 19.

The mission was set to launch June 11 but was postponed the evening before to correct a liquid oxygen leak in one of the engines in the Falcon 9's first stage.

That repair appeared to be ready to support a launch as soon as June 13, but NASA announced June 12 it put the launch on hold to allow the agency and Roscosmos to assess a "new pressure signature" in a Russian ISS module after recent work there .

The concern appears to revolve around the condition of the seals in the hatch that, if degraded, could pose additional problems for the station.

"By changing pressure in the transfer tunnel and monitoring over time, teams are evaluating the condition of the transfer tunnel and the hatch seal between the space station and the back of Zvezda," NASA stated.

NASA has not provided other details about the pressure signature in PrK that triggered the delay, including when it was detected.

It came after Russian cosmonauts on the station made another effort to resolve the air leak by sealing cracks seen in the vestibule. The leaks have persisted in PrK for several years without a resolution, something that has concerned NASA and its safety advisers.