USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida The postponement is nothing new for Axiom Mission 4, which has already experienced delays due to bad weather in Florida and issues with SpaceX Falcon 9. While the astronauts aboard the station are not in danger, small cracks on the ISS in recent years, particularly on the aging Russian segment, have contributed to the decision to retire the station. When the crew does get off the ground, they'll be aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule that will be propelled to orbit atop a Falcon 9 rocket launching from Cape Canaveral. What does lightning look like from space? Astronauts on space station share stunning photos The discovery came after cosmonauts aboard the space station recently performed inspections of the pressurized module’s interior surfaces, sealed some area and measured the current leak rate. NASA, Roscosmos to investigate leak on Russian module The segment now is holding pressure, but NASA said the Axiom Mission 4 delay will provide additional time for the U.S. space agency to evaluate the leak with Roscosmos and determine next steps. NASA deferred additional questions about the leak to Roscosmos. A new launch date for Ax-4 has not yet been announced as of Friday, June 13. What is commercial Axiom Mission 4? Axiom Mission 4, also known as Ax-4, is a commercial spaceflight venture that aims to send four private astronauts on a two-week trip to the International Space Station. Among the mission's crew are astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary who would be the first from their respective nations to ever reach the station. Under the command of former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, the crew members are due to undertake about 60 scientific experiments during their time aboard the orbital laboratory. The research was developed specifically to take place in microgravity on behalf of organizations around the world, according to Axiom Space. But the launch of the mission has undergone a slew of delays since Axiom Space was originally working toward a May 29 launch. When the crew does get off the ground, they'll be aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule that will be propelled to orbit atop a Falcon 9 rocket launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. The Axiom missions are also aimed at advancing the company's goals of building a space station that will attach to the ISS before its planned 2030 retirement. The missions began in 2022, with the most recent, Axiom Mission 3, taking place in January 2024. International Space Station has had leaks before This isn't the first time the International Space Station has experienced a leak. In February 2024, an air leak in the Russian segment of the orbital laboratory known as the PrK module caused disagreement between Roscosmos and NASA about not only the cause, but how serious it was. By November, the leak was still unresolved while the two space agencies were monitoring it. The area has also been sealed from the rest of the station when crew members did not need to access the spacecraft docked at the module. Leaks of air from the cracks have been minor and posed no immediate safety threats to the station's astronauts, who patch the leaks with tape, glue and other solutions. But issues on the ISS are increasingly worrisome signs of aging. In late 2024, a NASA Office of Inspector General report even raised concerns about whether it would be safe or even affordable to operate past the station's 2030 retirement date. Who is on the International Space Station?