Axiom Launch Delayed; Rocket Repair Pending
A technical issue with the Falcon 9 rocket used for the launch caused SpaceX to post on X that the mission had been postponed.
Wednesday was the fifth delay in the launch of the Axiom-4 mission, which will send India’s second astronaut into space.
SpaceX said in a post on X that a technical issue with its Falcon 9 rocket, which is being utilized for the launch, caused the mission to the ISS to be postponed. The new launch date has not been determined yet.
To give SpaceX teams more time to fix the LOx leak found during post-static fire booster inspections, we are postponing tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station. We’ll publish a new launch date once it’s finished, subject to range availability,” the microblogging site said.
Group Captain Shukla will be the first Indian to go to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a private astronaut mission that will take off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Axiom Space Inc. are working together on the mission.
ISRO claims that during a performance test, an oxygen leak was found in the propulsion bay.
“A seven-second hot test was conducted on the launch pad as part of the launch vehicle preparation to verify the Falcon 9 launch vehicle’s booster stage performance. It is known that during the test, LOX leakage was found in the propulsion bay. After the ISRO team discussed this issue with Axiom and SpaceX experts, it was decided to fix the leak and perform the required validation tests before approving the launch. To deploy the first Indian Gaganyatri to the ISS, the launch of Axiom 04, which was originally scheduled for June 11, 2025, has been postponed,” ISRO Chairman Dr. V Narayanan stated on X.
Due to inclement weather, the mission that was supposed to depart on Tuesday was postponed. The last time it was postponed, because to unfavorable weather, was from June 8 to June 10.
Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, Tibor Kapu from Hungary, and Peggy Whitson, a veteran NASA astronaut and mission commander, will accompany the 39-year-old Shukla. The astronauts are expected to spend up to 14 days on board the orbiting laboratory after docking, carrying out a mission that includes outreach, science, and commercial activities.
Four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s historic journey aboard Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft in 1984, Group Captain Shukla is making his first trip to orbit. He is going to be the mission pilot.
One of the leading candidates for the Gaganyaan mission, India’s first indigenous crewed orbital flight, Mr. Shukla, a renowned test pilot with the IAF, was shortlisted under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Program (HSP). It is anticipated that his voyage on the Axiom Mission 4 will give him invaluable practical experience in spaceflight procedures, launch procedures, microgravity adaptation, and emergency preparedness—all of which are crucial for India’s aspirations to fly in crewed space.
When the Group Captain visits the ISS next month, he will carry out seven studies in the areas of human biology, food, and agriculture.
Read More: Shein, Reliance plan to export India-made clothing
