Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 mission to ISS delayed once again

The Axiom-4 mission that was set to carry Shubhanshu Shukla along with three other astronauts to the International Space Station on June 22, has been postponed once again, the official handle of ISS announced on X. This is not the first time that the space mission has been postponed. The space agencies have delayed the launch of Axiom-4 multiple times.

Axiom Space earlier announced that the launch will take place at 3:42 am EDT on Sunday (Jun 22). However, due to various dynamic technical factors, the exact launch time could be slightly adjusted at the final moment. Monday (Jun 23) was set as a backup launch date in case the liftoff did not happen on sunday. But in the recent announcement, the space agency said that they will target a new launch date in the coming days.

“NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX continue reviewing launch opportunities for Axiom Mission 4. NASA is standing down from a launch on Sunday, June 22, and will target a new launch date in the coming days,” ISS wrote on X.

The space mission will liftoff on SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in FLorida and carry the Crew Dragon capsule to the ISS. It includes four astronauts, including India's Shubhanshu Shukla for a two-weeks-long mission.

In a statement on their official website, Axiom Space said, “The space agency needs additional time to continue evaluating International Space Station operations after recent repair work in the aft (back) most segment of the orbital laboratory’s Zvezda service module. Because of the space station’s interconnected and interdependent systems, NASA wants to ensure the station is ready for additional crew members, and the agency is taking the time necessary to review data.”

“The crew remains in quarantine in Florida, and the astronauts stand ready to launch when the station is ready to receive them,” it added. It further said, “SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft remain healthy on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.”

This is the seventh time that the original launch date has been pushed. Originally targeted for May 29 launch, it was pushed to June 8, June 9, June 10, June 11, June 19, and then June 22.

“NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than Sunday, June 22, for the launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4,” the space station's handle earlier said on X.