The Axiom Mission 4, which includes Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, has been deferred once again and will now lift off no earlier than Sunday, 22 June. The announcement follows continued safety reviews and hardware checks.
Initially scheduled for 29 May, the mission has faced multiple delays. The launch was first deferred due to unfavourable weather conditions, followed by technical irregularities in the Falcon 9 rocket’s liquid oxygen system. A leak discovered earlier this month during testing led to another postponement. More recently, a pressure anomaly detected in the Zvezda module of the International Space Station (ISS) further delayed the departure.
Axiom‑4, the fourth commercial astronaut mission to the ISS, is particularly significant for India, as it will mark the country’s return to human spaceflight after more than four decades. Shukla is set to become the first Indian to reach the space station and only the second Indian citizen to enter space, after Rakesh Sharma’s flight in 1984.
Also read: ISRO confirms 19th June as launch date for Axiom-4 mission
The 14‑day mission will involve over 60 scientific experiments, with Shukla conducting seven of them on behalf of India. The all‑civilian crew also includes seasoned American astronaut Peggy Whitson and mission specialists from Poland and Hungary, highlighting the increasingly international composition of commercial space expeditions.
The latest deferral has been described as a precautionary step, with mission planners insisting on a thorough assessment of both launch vehicle and station readiness before proceeding.
Shukla’s family, apprised of the latest delay, reaffirmed the astronaut's mental and physical preparedness for the mission. His participation is viewed as a milestone in India’s growing role in global space collaboration and a vital precursor to the country's upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.
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