NASA Delays ISS Cargo Launch Following Dragon Fuel Leak

The SpaceX Dragon cargo vehicle has been so reliable it rarely had a complaint, but it has suffered a rare failure that will delay a planned resupply mission

According to NASA, the vessel that was set to launch this coming weekend has a fuel leak, so it’s put a hold on everything while the pair investigate

Dragon was being prepared for the CRS-25 cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) last weekend when sensors detected the problem

After detecting the problem, the team removed both the fuel and oxidizer from the system to prevent further leaks

After evaluating the situation this week, both parties (NASA and SapceX) agreed that it would be prudent to postpone the launch. 

The team does not currently know where the leak is, and even after finding it, they will have to verify it’s not a sign of system failure that could imperil the spacecraft or the ISS

While there would be no crew on Dragon, it would remain docked at the station for several days loaded with enough fuel to get it back to Earth. 

Neither NASA nor SpaceX have talked about when they expect CRS-25 to be rescheduled, but the ISS crew will be fine for the time being

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