India, June 15 -- A potentially catastrophic fuel leak in the Falcon-9 rocket-tasked with flying four astronauts including Indian Air Force pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla-was detected and rectified only after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) demanded stringent due diligence, NDTV has reported in an exclusive.

The flaw, a crack in the oxidiser line of the Falcon-9's first stage, had gone unnoticed by SpaceX until ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan pushed for deeper inspection and full validation through tests.

ISRO rejected 'band-aid fix', demanded proper repair

Despite detecting a liquid oxygen (LOX) leak, the SpaceX team was reportedly ready to proceed with the launch scheduled for June 11. But ISRO firmly objected.

A s...