The long-awaited Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) with Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has been postponed yet again. The launch, initially scheduled for June 19, is now planned for June 22. The third postponement of the mission.
Axiom Space announced the postponement, citing continued operations testing on the ISS after recent repairs. “The revision to a planned launch date gives NASA time to continue assessing space station operations after recent repairs in the aft (rear) most part of the International Space Station’s Evezda service module,” Axiom announced in a statement.
Previous Delay Because of Rocket Malfunction
The launch had previously been postponed owing to a technical problem with the Falcon-9 rocket of SpaceX. SpaceX had to advance the timeline after a leak in the liquid oxygen system. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) last week had affirmed that the problem had been rectified and the mission had been rescheduled for June 19.
India’s Big Leap in Human Spaceflight
The Axiom-4 crew consists of Indian, Polish, and Hungarian astronauts, each a visitor from their nation to the space station. The mission is the second government-supported human spaceflight program in more than four decades, Axiom Space said.
v will be only the second Indian to go to space after Rakesh Sharma who flew in 1984. His joining the crew of Ax-4 marks a giant leap for India’s ambitions in human space travel.
Scientific Focus of the Mission
Shukla will perform seven microgravity experiments during the mission to enhance India’s space-based research capabilities. The experiments will also augment India’s long-term ambitions of building a space station by 2035 and conducting a manned lunar mission by 2047.
Two-Week Stay on the ISS
The Ax-4 mission is set to take 14 days on the ISS. The crew will reside and function in the laboratory aboard the orbiting space station, helping facilitate ongoing research and global partnership in space.
Axiom’s Repeated Missions to the ISS
NASA has overseen three Axiom missions to the ISS thus far. Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) occurred in April 2022 and lasted 17 days. Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) flew in May 2023, with its occupants remaining on board for eight days. The latest, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3), was conducted in January 2024 and had the crew on the ISS for 18 days.
The next Ax-4 mission will be pursuing this track record of successful private astronaut missions while creating a historic milestone for India.