The much-awaited Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has been pushed back again, and Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will have to wait a little longer for his trip to space.
The mission was supposed to launch on June 22, but NASA has called it off for now. A new launch date will be announced soon, according to a post from the official ISS account on X early Friday. “NASA has made the decision to stand down from a launch on Sunday, June 22, and will target a new launch date in the coming days,” Axiom Space said on Thursday.
Why the Hold-Up?
This latest delay is due to NASA still checking on some recent repair work done in the back section of the Zvezda service module, a Russian part of the space station. NASA said they need more time to make sure everything is working fine before sending up a new crew.
Because the systems on the ISS are all connected, even small problems in one part can affect the whole station.
Who’s Going on the Axiom-4 Mission?
The Axiom-4 crew is made up of four astronauts, and it’s a pretty diverse team:
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Peggy Whitson, a legendary former NASA astronaut, is the mission commander
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Shubhanshu Shukla from India is the pilot
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Slawosz Uznanski from the European Space Agency is one of the mission specialists
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Tibor Kapu from Hungary is the other mission specialist
This team is set to make big contributions during their time in space.
The Space Ride: SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon
The crew will launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and ride up to space in the Dragon capsule. This mission is part of the growing wave of private space travel, with Axiom Space partnering with NASA and SpaceX.
A Series of Delays
This mission has faced quite a few delays already. It was first planned for May 29, but got pushed back multiple times because of:
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A liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 booster
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Concerns over the old Russian module on the ISS
After that, the launch date moved from June 8 to June 10, then June 11, June 19, and June 22 — and now, it’s delayed once again.
What Will the Astronauts Do in Space?
Once they finally launch, the crew will spend 14 days on the ISS. They’ve got a packed schedule of about 60 experiments, including:
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Research in life sciences
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Trying out new technologies
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Diabetes-related studies
Their work could help improve life on Earth and also make future space missions safer and more advanced.
For now, Shubhanshu Shukla and the rest of the team are in wait mode. A new launch date is expected soon, and excitement is still high — especially in India, where Shukla’s journey is being seen as a proud moment.
