No More Delay: NASA Confirms Launch Time For India's Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 Mission

Last Updated:June 19, 2025, 13:01 IST

Axiom Space's Ax-4 mission will launch India's Shubhanshu Shukla to the ISS on June 22. Peggy Whitson will command, conducting 60 experiments, including seven from India.

The Axiom-4 space mission has been delayed till June 22.(Image: NASA)

Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission is set to launch India’s Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station after overcoming several delays, including repeated postponements, technical snags, and weather issues.

Axiom Space has announced that the Axe-4 mission will launch aboard the Dragon spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 22. The lift-off after repeated delays is now scheduled for 1:12 pm IST. 

The launch was most recently postponed on June 12 due to a detected pressure leak on the International Space Station.

According to NASA, the change in the targeted launch date provides astronauts aboard the Space Station time to continue evaluating operations after recent repair work in the aft (back) most segment of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module.

Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space Peggy Whitson will command the commercial mission, while Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot. European Space Agency project astronaut Sawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are the two mission specialists.

“It is not uncommon for the agency and its international partners to adjust launches around changes in operations aboard the space station. Teams are making progress evaluating the transfer tunnel configuration, resulting in an updated launch opportunity for the private astronaut mission," NASA had said.

The four astronauts for the Ax-4 mission are currently in quarantine as the June 22 launch date approaches.

The Ax-4 mission will conduct 60 scientific experiments in space, with India contributing seven studies led by astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, a test pilot in the Indian Air Force.

The Axiom-4 mission’s launch, initially scheduled for May 29, 2025, was postponed multiple times due to technical and environmental issues. It was first delayed to June 8, stemming from concerns about the Crew Dragon’s electrical harness.

The launch was further delayed to June 9 due to Falcon 9 vehicle readiness issues, and then to June 10 because of unfavourable weather conditions in the ascent corridor.

Pre-launch tests on June 8 revealed an oxygen leak and engine actuator issue, which were addressed by replacing the actuator and controller, leading to a rescheduled launch for June 11.

With the launch date and time confirmed, Axiom Space is now in the final stages of preparing the astronauts for their space mission.

Location :

United States of America (USA)

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News world No More Delay: NASA Confirms Launch Time For India's Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 Mission