Spaceflight Delayed: Leak Concerns Halt International Astronaut Mission

In a significant setback, a chartered spaceflight scheduled to carry the first astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary in decades has been postponed indefinitely. Concerns over a cabin pressure leak at the International Space Station have prompted the delay.

NASA announced on Thursday its decision to closely monitor the cabin pressure in the Russian segment of the station before allowing new visitors, ensuring the safety of seven astronauts currently aboard. Current operations at the station remain unaffected, officials confirmed.

Initially, SpaceX planned to launch four private astronauts on a 14-day mission to the station this week. However, the mission was delayed due to inclement weather, rocket issues, and now, the station's leak problem. NASA, alongside the Russian Space Agency, is working to resolve the leak in the Zvezda module, with repairs showing promising results. Despite the delay, Axiom Space, the company overseeing the mission, is committed to collaborating with partners to schedule a new launch date.

(With inputs from agencies.)