NASA-ISRO joint mission Axiom-4 set to launch on June 22 after multiple delays
After a series of postponements caused by technical issues, weather conditions, and safety concerns, the much-anticipated
Axiom-4 mission
to the International Space Station (ISS) has been rescheduled to launch on June 22, 2025, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed. The announcement followed extensive discussions between ISRO and space agencies from Poland and Hungary, whose astronauts will participate in the mission, along with India's
Gaganyatri Group
Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Peggy Whitson, the former
NASA
astronaut who will serve as mission commander. The mission, a collaboration between Axiom Space, NASA, SpaceX, and ISRO, has faced multiple delays since its original launch target in May.
Axiom-4 Mission's postponements so far
The mission was initially targeted for May 29, but that date was deferred to June 8 after engineers detected issues in the electrical harness of the
Crew Dragon Module
. A series of subsequent delays followed, caused by weather concerns, incomplete readiness of the Falcon-9 launch vehicle, and technical faults, including an oxygen leak and anomalies in an engine actuator identified during hot fire tests.
International collaboration and crew composition
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The Axiom-4 mission represents a unique international partnership. Along with astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary, the crew is led by Peggy Whitson, a seasoned spacefarer and former NASA astronaut. The 14-day manned mission is designed to conduct scientific experiments aboard the ISS, advancing human spaceflight and microgravity research.
Safety concerns on the ISS
One of the critical reasons for the latest delay involved an air leak in the Zvezda Service Module of the ISS. On June 11, ISRO and NASA flagged concerns to Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, and recommended in-situ repairs followed by low-temperature leak tests to validate the module's integrity before launch.
New target and readiness conditions
According to ISRO, the new date of June 22 was finalized based on the readiness of SpaceX's
Falcon-9 rocket
, the Dragon spacecraft, ascent weather conditions, crew health during quarantine, and the completion of necessary repairs aboard the ISS. A backup launch window is available on June 23 if needed.
The Axiom-4 mission underscores the growing role of private and international cooperation in space exploration. With safety checks completed and technical hurdles addressed, the mission is now poised to lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, taking another step toward a more globally connected presence in space.
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