'Scheduled to lift off...': NASA shares status ahead of Axiom-4 launch after multiple delays

Axiom-4 space mission has been delayed multiple times, after the initial postponement due to an oxygen leak, NASA is now targeting a launch on Wednesday (June 25) at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12:01 pm IST). Group Captain Shukla will script history for the country and will be the first Indian astronaut to fly to NASA’s International Space Station under a private mission.

Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, Peggy Whitson, will command the mission, and ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will be the mission pilot.

According to NASA statement, “This launch opportunity comes after NASA and Roscosmos officials discussed the status of the recent repair work in the transfer tunnel at the aft (back) most segment of the orbital laboratory’s Zvezda service module. Based on the evaluations, NASA and Roscosmos agreed to further lower the pressure in the transfer tunnel to 100 millimeters of mercury, and teams will continue to evaluate going forward. Safety remains a top priority for NASA and Roscosmos.”

Further added, “As part of a collaboration between NASA and ISRO, Axiom Mission 4 delivers on a commitment highlighted by President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the station. The space agencies are participating in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) demonstrations. NASA and ISRO have a long-standing relationship built on a shared vision to advance scientific knowledge and expand space collaboration.”

The Indian Air Force officer Shukla was selected under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Program (HSP), and he is also one of the leading contenders for the country’s maiden Ganganyaan mission.