Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s Axiom-4 mission has faced yet another postponement just before its originally scheduled launch on July 19, marking the fourth delay. NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX now plan to launch the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4, no earlier than Sunday, June 22. This new timeline allows NASA to thoroughly evaluate the space station’s operations after completing recent repairs on the rear segment of the Zvezda service module. The crew will board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which will launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
India, Hungary, and Poland will make a significant return to space with the Axiom-4 mission, which SpaceX planned to launch on June 19 aboard its Falcon 9 rocket. Commander Peggy Whitson leads the commercial mission, with Shubhanshu Shukla as the mission pilot, accompanied by mission specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland.
Axiom-4 Mission Faces Delay as Launch Teams Target June 22 Amid Final Preparations
ISRO recently shared on X that teams from India, Poland, and Hungary held detailed discussions with Axiom about the potential timeline for Axiom Mission 4. After these talks, Axiom worked closely with NASA and SpaceX to assess several readiness factors. Taking into account the current condition of the Falcon 9 rocket, the Dragon spacecraft, ongoing repairs in the Zvezda module of the Space Station, weather conditions for the launch corridor, and the crew’s health and quarantine status, Axiom set the next probable launch date for June 22, 2025.
The launch team originally scheduled the mission for May 29 but postponed it multiple times after detecting a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9’s boosters and identifying issues with the aging Russian module of the International Space Station. They then rescheduled the launch to June 8, moved it to June 10, and finally set it for June 11.
Axiom Space later posted on social media that the Ax4 crew remains in quarantine in Florida while following all medical and safety protocols. They confirmed that the crew is healthy, in high spirits, and eagerly awaiting the upcoming launch.