Axiom-4 Mission Pushed to June 22 After Safety Inspections
- The Axiom-4 mission, carrying Subhanshu Shukla and three others to the ISS, has been postponed for the third time, with the new launch date set for 22 June 2025.
- A liquid oxygen (LOX) leak was found during a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster inspection, prompting SpaceX to delay the launch for repairs and further validation tests.
- This mission marks the first government-sponsored human spaceflight in over 40 years for India, Poland, and Hungary, with international collaboration involving ISRO, NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom Space.
The Axiom-4 mission, which was set to carry Indian astronaut Subhanshu Shukla and three others to the International Space Station (ISS), has been postponed for the third time. The mission, originally scheduled for launch on June 11, 2025, is now tentatively rescheduled for June 22, 2025, according to an official announcement by ISRO and Axiom Space.
The delay was confirmed by ISRO on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating that teams from ISRO, Poland, and Hungary held detailed discussions with Axiom Space to finalize the new timeline. Axiom Space also consulted NASA and SpaceX before confirming the next possible launch window.
The decision to postpone comes after a liquid oxygen (LOX) leak was detected during a booster inspection of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX will now clear the leak and conduct additional validation tests to ensure mission readiness.
Aside from technical issues, other factors contributing to the delay include ongoing repairs in the Zvezda module of the ISS, ascent corridor weather conditions, and the health status of the quarantined crew.
The mission is significant as it represents the first government-sponsored human spaceflight in over four decades for India, Poland, and Hungary. The Axiom-4 crew includes former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson as commander, Indian Air Force Wing Commander Subhanshu Shukla as pilot, ESA astronaut Slawosz Uznanski from Poland, and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu.
The mission will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. Once cleared, the Axiom-4 team will undertake a multi-day mission aboard the ISS, further strengthening global cooperation in commercial space exploration.
