After weeks of delays, technical glitches, and weather setbacks, Axiom Space has finally locked in a the launch date for the much-awaited Ax-4 mission, which will carry India’s Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station. The mission is now scheduled to lift off on June 22 at 1:12 pm (IST) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This will mark a significant milestone for India, with Shukla, a serving test pilot in the Indian Air Force, set to fly as pilot on the all-commercial mission aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
Why Was the Launch Delayed?
Originally slated for May 29, the Ax-4 mission has been rescheduled multiple times. The first delay pushed the launch to June 8 after issues were detected with the Crew Dragon’s electrical harness. Subsequent delays followed due to vehicle readiness issues with the Falcon 9, unfavourable weather conditions in the ascent corridor, and more seriously, an oxygen leak and engine actuator anomaly during pre-launch tests on June 8.
After a pressure leak aboard the ISS was detected on June 12, the launch was further postponed. NASA confirmed that the delay allowed astronauts onboard the station to continue assessing the aft segment of the Zvezda module following recent repair work.
“Teams are making progress evaluating the transfer tunnel configuration,” NASA said in a statement, adding that launch adjustments are not uncommon when operational changes are underway aboard the space station.
Who’s Onboard and What They’ll Do
The Ax-4 mission will be commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight. Alongside Shukla, the crew includes two mission specialists: Sawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Together, the crew will conduct 60 scientific experiments, with seven India-led studies under Shukla’s charge. All four astronauts are currently in quarantine ahead of the launch.
