NASA postpones Axiom Mission 4 launch, new date to be announced soon

WASHINGTON: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has postponed the planned launch of Axiom Mission-4 to the International Space Station (ISS). The Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla-led mission was rescheduled for Sunday, June 22.

The ISS said on Friday morning that NASA is standing down from a launch on Sunday and that it 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”, the ISS wrote in a post on X.

According to the ISS, additional time is needed to evaluate station operations following recent repair work in the aft segment of the Zvezda service module. Due to the highly interconnected nature of the orbital laboratory’s systems, NASA is reviewing relevant data to ensure readiness for the arrival of additional crew members.

Highlighting the global significance of the mission, ISS noted that the agencies “appreciate the historic nature of this mission for the nations of India, Poland, and Hungary, as well as the world.” The four-member crew remains in quarantine in Florida and is prepared to launch once the station is cleared to receive them.

Axiom Mission 4 will be commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and now Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight. Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla from ISRO will serve as the mission’s pilot. The mission specialists are ESA project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft remain in good condition and are stationed at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Earlier, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that the Axiom-4 space mission — which includes Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla — will not launch before June 22, as safety assessments are still under way before clearing the final launch timeline. “We have been told that it won’t be before June 22. There is a safety angle also involved here”, Singh said at a press conference.

Following the rescheduling, Axiom Space had said in a statement earlier that NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX were targeting no earlier than Sunday, June 22, for the launch. The change allows NASA time to continue evaluating station operations after recent repairs in the Zvezda service module.

In a post on X, Dr. Jitendra Singh confirmed the updated launch timeline, writing: “Axiom Mission 04 to the International Space Station (ISS)… After assessing key parameters, including module fitness, crew health, and weather, @Axiom_Space has indicated that June 22, 2025, may be the next likely launch date of Axiom-04 Mission carrying, among others, the Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, to the ISS”. He added that further updates would be shared accordingly.

On the 11th anniversary of the Modi government, Singh also highlighted the socio-economic impact of administrative reforms over the past decade. “The administrative reforms that happened in the last 11 years were not limited to governance. They had extreme socio-economic ramifications,” he said.

He emphasized the push toward digital governance aimed at enhancing ease of living for common citizens, and noted that reforms created a more automated system that helped the government achieve key milestones.

“During the 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, not only has governance improved but also had significant socio-economic consequences,” Singh said. He added that schemes and reforms were aimed at ensuring justice for marginalised groups. (ANI)