Leak Stops on the International Space Station. But NASA Engineers Still Worry

Air has been leaking from a Russia-controlled module on the International Space Station for years, but recently the leak stopped, raising concerns about a possible new leak. The stoppage could be due to successful patches on the exterior wall, but engineers are worried that a new leak may have formed on an interior wall, causing air to rush in from the rest of the station. This could mean the entire station is losing air, but much about the issue is unknown. NASA delayed the launch of the private Ax-4 mission to investigate the problem. The agency worked with Roscosmos officials to lower the pressure in the transfer tunnel and will continue to evaluate the issue. The cracks in the module are minuscule and mostly invisible, making it difficult to patch the problem areas. The Ax-4 mission was eventually launched on Wednesday, but not before the four-person crew was delayed for about a month in quarantine in Florida. NASA and Roscosmos had been trying to sort through the leak issue, which led to the delay. The crew was finally able to launch to the International Space Station on Wednesday. The issue is still being investigated, and the results are not yet clear. The situation highlights the challenges of maintaining the aging space station.