Axiom house flight tentatively scheduled for June 19 after repeated delays: Science Minister

Axiom-4 astronauts, commander Peggy Whitson of U.S., pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, mission specialist Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and mission specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary, are pictured on the countdown video clock, because the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands at Launch Advanced 39-A after a delay of its mission to the Worldwide House Station, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., June 9, 2025.
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters

The Axiom-4 mission, that’s set to hold Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the Worldwide House Station (ISS) is scheduled to take off on June 19, “as of now”, Science and Expertise Minister Jitendra Singh mentioned at a press convention on Sunday.

This comes a day after the Indian House Analysis Organisation (ISRO) had first declared after which deleted the date of the repeatedly postponed launch. On Saturday, ISRO had posted on its official channels that the liquid oxygen leak on the Falcon-9, which is meant to ferry the astronauts to the ISS, had been “efficiently resolved”, and that it was seeking to a “June nineteenth launch”. Later within the day, nonetheless, it eliminated the precise reference to the date, modifying its put up to say: “The earliest attainable launch date for #Ax4 is being labored out.”

With the launch having been delayed a number of occasions already, Dr. Singh mentioned that June 19 is “being severely thought-about”, however that there have been “imponderables” such because the climate and different components.

‘Mutual cooperation’ with SpaceX

In response to a query by The Hindu, the Minister performed down perceived variations between ISRO and the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX — which owns and operates the Falcon — on the menace posed by the invention of an “oxygen leak”’ throughout a engine check on June 8.

On June 10, ISRO had mentioned on its web site that it “really useful” on-site repairs or alternative and a “low temperature leak check” earlier than the automobile was cleared for launch. A media report claimed that ISRO needed to insist on such a check.

“So far as our understanding goes, there’s been an optimum quantity of mutual cooperation. As quickly because the leakage was identified, each groups joined collectively and agreed to handle that [the leakage],” mentioned Dr. Singh, who can also be the Minister-in-charge for House.

Oxygen leak detected

The astronauts had been initially scheduled to carry off on Might 29, which was postponed to June 8, then June 10, after which June 11, when SpaceX, the supplier of the launch rocket and the house capsule, detected a liquid oxygen leak within the Falcon-9 rocket.

The delays had been additionally resulting from a snag within the Zvezda service module aboard the ISS. Axiom, the corporate coordinating the launch, has mentioned it was “coordinating with NASA on the module anomaly”.

Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom House, Peggy Whitson, will command the industrial mission, whereas Mr. Shukla, the ISRO astronaut, will function the pilot. The 2 mission specialists are European House Company (ESA) astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The 14-day mission will “realise the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary.

(with inputs from PTI)