The launch of the Axiom-4 mission, which will carry India’s second astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to space, has been postponed by one day due to unfavorable weather conditions. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced the delay via a post on X, formerly Twitter, stating, “Due to weather conditions, the launch of Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to the International Space Station is postponed from 10th June to 11th June. The targeted time of launch is 5:30 pm IST on 11th June.”
The Axiom-4 mission, also known as Mission Akash Ganga, is a collaboration between ISRO, Houston-based Axiom Space, and the US space agency NASA. The mission will take the astronaut to orbit the International Space Station (ISS) and is scheduled to spend 14 days in space.
This postponement marks the fourth delay for the mission, with the most recent rescheduling having shifted the launch from June 8 to June 10, again due to adverse weather conditions. The historic mission will launch from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the very site from which astronaut Neil Armstrong took off on the Apollo 11 mission on July 16, 1969, to become the first human to set foot on the moon.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a 39-year-old fighter pilot from the Indian Air Force and the prime astronaut selected by ISRO, is currently in pre-launch quarantine at the Kennedy Space Center. This standard procedure is designed to protect astronauts from potential infections prior to their lift-off.
From quarantine, Shukla expressed his confidence about the mission’s success, stating that he is “extremely confident” as the launch date approaches.
Also Read: Shukla set to pilot India’s return to space with Axiom-4 mission
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