SpaceX has delayed the launch of its Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The decision came after teams found a liquid oxygen (LOx) leak during final checks on the Falcon 9 rocket. The Axiom-4 mission, a significant spaceflight involving astronauts from three nations, including India’s Shubhanshu Shukla, was scheduled to launch at 5:30 PM IST on Wednesday, June 11. However, on Tuesday morning, the mission to the International Space Station was postponed after engineers requested additional time to fix a leak detected in SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket.
Indian Astronaut Part of Crew
Indian Air Force officer, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is among the astronauts on this private spaceflight. His inclusion highlights India’s growing role in commercial space exploration.
Official Update from SpaceX
Sharing the development on X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX stated, “Standing down from tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak.” This message confirms that safety concerns took priority over sticking to the original launch date.
Standing down from tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections. Once complete – and pending Range availability – we will share a new launch date pic.twitter.com/FwRc8k2Bc0
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 11, 2025
New Launch Date Pending
Currently, SpaceX has not announced a new date for liftoff. The revised schedule will depend on how quickly the leak is fixed and the availability of the launch range at Cape Canaveral.
Weather Had Looked Favorable
Earlier, SpaceX had said that weather conditions were 85% favorable for launch. However, mission teams were also monitoring high winds along the rocket’s flight path. These winds could have affected the rocket’s performance during ascent.
A Key Step for India in Space
Ax-4 mission marks global cooperation. Once cleared for takeoff, the Ax-4 mission will send a multinational crew including Shukla to the ISS. This mission not only pushes India’s presence in international space missions, but also showcases the growing partnership between government and private space efforts.
Postponement of Axiom 04 mission slated for launch on 11th June 2025 for sending first Indian Gaganyatri to ISS.
As part of launch vehicle preparation to validate the performance of booster stage of Falcon 9 launch vehicle, seven second of hot test was carried out on the launch…
— ISRO (@isro) June 11, 2025
