Axiom-4 mission: The launch of the Axiom-4 (AX-4) mission proposed for the International Space Station (ISS) has been postponed once again. The mission was about to send the Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla into space. The launching was to be held on June 11, but just before the launch, it was postponed after finding out the liquid oxygen (LOX) leak in the Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX confirmed this delay on social media platform X.
The statement issued by SpaceX states, "The launch of AX-4 to be held from Falcon 9 tomorrow is being postponed so that the team can get extra time to repair the LOX leak." The company said that the new launch date will be decided according to the completion of repair works and the availability of the range.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has also confirmed the delay in the mission. ISRO wrote on X, "A 7 -second hot testing was done on the launch pad to verify the performance of the booster stage of Falcon 9 launch vehicle. During this test, the leakage of liquid oxygen was found in the propulsion bay."
ISRO further explained, "After discussing the issue with experts from AXIOM and Spacex, it was decided that the launch of the leakage would be approved only after repairing the leakage and the necessary tests. Therefore, the proposed Axiom-4 mission on 11 June 2025 has been postponed."
The delay was also confirmed by the official X handle of the international space station. they wrote, "@Nasa, @axiom_space and spacex are retreating from the launch of the proposed Axiom Mission 4 on Wednesday 11 June."
The AX-4 mission is a joint effort of Axiom Space, NASA, Spacex and ISRO, which will make India a return to the human space flight after four decades. Earlier in 1984, Rakesh Sharma went to space.
The AX-4 mission has been postponed for this fourth time. A few days ago, the mission was averted due to bad weather, when 45% rainfall and strong winds were reported on the launch site. Even before this, the date has been extended due to technical reasons and range availability.
Once the launch is successful, the four astronauts will spend about 14 days on ISS under the AX-4 mission. During this time, he will do scientific experiments on subjects like microgravity, life science and material science. These experiments will be done in association with researchers from more than 30 countries.
