Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 18: The much-awaited Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), featuring Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, has been postponed once again—this time to June 22. The latest delay has been attributed to ongoing evaluations and repair assessments aboard the ISS, specifically in its Russian segment.
Originally slated for lift-off on May 29 and later rescheduled multiple times due to technical issues—including a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 rocket and system faults in the Russian-built Zvezda module—the mission is now targeting a Sunday launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
In an official statement released on Wednesday, Axiom Space announced, “NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are now targeting no earlier than Sunday, June 22, for launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4.” The delay, the agency noted, is to ensure “safe and complete evaluation of space station operations following recent repair work on the aft segment of the Zvezda service module.”
The Axiom-4 mission is being led by veteran astronaut and commander Peggy Whitson. Alongside her is pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India, marking a significant milestone in India’s return to human spaceflight on a global platform. The mission also includes Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu and Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, both serving as mission specialists.
Despite the repeated postponements, the Axiom-4 crew remains committed and mission-ready. “The #Ax4 crew remains in quarantine in Florida to maintain all medical and safety protocols. The crew is in good health and high spirits and looks forward to launch,” Axiom Space stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
This mission holds historical value for India, Hungary, and Poland, marking their renewed participation in crewed space missions aboard the ISS. As global attention turns to the skies once again, Axiom-4 continues to be a beacon of international collaboration in space exploration.