Axiom Mission 4 launch delayed again: New target date set for June 22

Axiom Mission 4 launch delayed again, now set for 22 June due to space station repairs

The new launch date came after NASA reviewed ISS systems. The launch of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) has been delayed again. The mission, which includes Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is now expected to launch on 22 June 2025, according to Axiom Space.

Earlier, the launch had been postponed due to a liquid oxygen (LOX) leak detected during a routine booster inspection by SpaceX.

Axiom Space announced the update, “NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are now targeting no earlier than Sunday, June 22, for launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4. The change in a targeted launch date provides NASA time to continue evaluating space station operations after recent repair work in the aft (back) most segment of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module.

Shubhanshu Shukla to pilot Axiom Mission 4

This mission holds historic value for India, as Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become the second Indian astronaut in space and the first to visit the ISS. It marks India’s return to human spaceflight after over 40 years, since Rakesh Sharma’s mission in 1984.

The Ax-4 crew also includes ESA astronaut Sławosz Uznański from Poland, Tibor Kapu from Hungary, and mission commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut. It is the first government-sponsored space mission for India, Poland, and Hungary in over four decades.

Whitson will be leading her second commercial human spaceflight, while the other astronauts will be representing their countries for the first time aboard the ISS.

Mission overview

The Ax-4 mission is expected to last up to 14 days, during which the crew will conduct over 60 scientific experiments across 31 countries. Research areas include human health, material sciences, biological studies, and Earth observation.

The mission is also part of Axiom Space’s long-term goal to develop the first commercial space station. It highlights how international collaboration can accelerate space innovation and microgravity research.

Countries contributing to the scientific programme include India, Poland, Hungary, the United States, UAE, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil, among others. The experiments will help develop future space technologies and offer insights into life sciences in space.

Crew remains in quarantine till launch on 22 June

The Ax-4 crew remains in quarantine in Florida, following medical and safety protocols. According to Axiom Space, the astronauts are in good health and high spirits as they await launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.