Axiom Mission 4 with ISRO's Shubhanshu Shukla to launch on June 25; Check time, where to watch & more

Time of India

7 hours ago

NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are targeting 12:01 p.m. IST on Wednesday, June 25, for the launch of
Axiom Mission 4
(Ax-4), the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
The launch, happening after multiple delays, will take place from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with the crew set to travel aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft powered by the
Falcon 9 rocket
.
The Ax-4 mission is a key milestone in international
commercial spaceflight
and will be led by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the mission's pilot, making it the first time an ISRO astronaut will stay aboard the ISS.
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The crew also includes two mission specialists: Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, representing the European Space Agency (ESA), and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, selected under the HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) programme. Both astronauts will become the first from their respective countries to stay on the ISS.
The mission's docking with the ISS is scheduled for around 4:30 p.m. IST on Thursday, June 27, following a nearly 29-hour journey in orbit.
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The launch was cleared after NASA and Russia's Roscosmos agency reviewed recent repairs at the aft segment of the Zvezda service module. Both agencies agreed to lower the internal pressure in the module's transfer tunnel to 100 millimetres of mercury as a precautionary measure.
NASA confirmed that safety remains a key priority, and both agencies have endorsed the mission going forward.
The mission follows several delays:
Initially slated for May 29, the launch was postponed to early June due to Dragon capsule readiness issues;
In early June, a liquid oxygen (LOX) leak in the Falcon 9 rocket led to another delay, canceling the June 11 launch window;
Following repairs to the ISS's Zvezda module, a pressure anomaly prompted a further postponement, delaying the mission from June 12, with tentative dates of June 19 and June 22 considered before confirmation of June;
Axiom 4 launch: Where to watch live?
Live coverage of the launch and docking will be available on NASA+ and other official platforms.
More details on the mission
The private astronauts will spend approximately two weeks aboard the space station, conducting science experiments, education-based initiatives, and commercial engagements, according to NASA.
As part of a broader
U.S.-India space collaboration
, the mission also fulfills a commitment made during the Trump-Modi era to enhance joint scientific initiatives and send an ISRO astronaut to the ISS. NASA and ISRO are collaborating on five science investigations and two in-orbit STEM education demonstrations during the mission.