Why Has the Axiom-4 Mission With Shubhanshu Shukla Been Delayed Six Times?

The highly anticipated Axiom-4 spaceflight mission, featuring Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla in its four-person crew, has been postponed again. It is the sixth delay for the private flight, which was originally planned for May 29, 2025. The recent rescheduling means the launch on June 22, as earlier scheduled, will no longer happen. A new date will be announced in a few days.

The present launch window is available until June 30. In case the Axiom-4 mission is not launched within this period, it will have to be delayed until the next available window around mid-July.

Why Has Axiom-4 Been Delayed So Many Times?

NASA and Axiom Space have attributed recurrent delays to continuous safety and operational evaluations aboard the International Space Station (ISS), particularly after recent repairs to the Zvezda service module, found in the aft part of the station.

Axiom Space clarified in a statement, “With the space station’s intricate and interconnected systems, NASA is taking the time to go over the data and make sure it is ready to accommodate more crew members.”

Here’s a timeline of the six delays so far:

• May 29: Launch postponed because of an “observation in the electrical harness” on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
• June 8: Deferred since the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch vehicle was not prepared.
• June 9: Second delay due to adverse weather conditions along the rocket’s flight trajectory.
• June 10: An oxygen leak and a faulty one of the actuators advanced the launch to June 11.
• June 11: Fears over a suspected leak in the rear part of the Russian module delayed the launch once more.
• June 19: Launch rescheduled to June 22 to provide additional time for ISS inspections.
• June 22: Latest postponement due to outstanding operational and safety issues on the ISS.

What Is the Axiom-4 Mission?

The Axiom-4 mission is a commercial spaceflight sponsored by Axiom Space in partnership with NASA. The astronauts will perform approximately 60 scientific experiments on board the International Space Station.

Indian spaceflight participant Shubhanshu Shukla will command a set of food and nutrition studies designed in cooperation with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). The experiments are intended to advance space nutrition and investigate self-sustaining life support systems essential for long-duration missions of the future.

Shukla is joined by Commander Peggy Whitson, a seasoned NASA astronaut, Tigor Kapu of Hungary, and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland.

This mission is a historic comeback for India to human space travel, after 41 years since Rakesh Sharma went into space on a Soviet Soyuz space ship in 1984 as the first Indian in space.