Safety, mission integrity top priority, says ISRO amid Axiom-4 delay
Setbacks and delays are a normal part of spaceflight. Our Ax-4 crew remains upbeat and looking forward to a safe and successful flight to the Space Station! https://t.co/Cx6DFD2aPk
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United News of India
10 hours ago
- United News of India
ISRO working with NASA, Axiom, SpaceX to address AX-4 mission to ISS piloted by Indian astronaut
Chennai, June 13 (UNI) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday said it was working with Axiom Space, NASA and SpaceX to address the technical glitch--leakage of LOX fuel--that led to the deferment of Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) piloted by decorated Indian astronaut Subhanshu Shukla, carrying the hopes and dreams of billions and conducted seven key microgravity experiments ISRO said Safety and mission integrity remain its top priorities. In a post on X, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said "ISRO is working closely with Axiom Space, NASA, SpaceX as they responsibly address the ISS Zvezda module observation causing the Ax-4 delay. Safety and mission integrity remain our top priorities." The launch was scheduled to take off to ISS on a 14-day docking at ISS involving four crew members from India, US, Hungary and Poland, but was deferred after the LOX leak was detected during post static fibre booster inspections. After addressing the glitch, the fresh launch dates would be announced SpaceX and Axiom said and that the launch window availability was still available till June end and July. This is ISRO first mission in over 40 years and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be India's second national astronaut to go to space since 1984 after Rakesh Sharma in 1984. Meanwhile, in another update, chronicling the mission's key developments, ISRO said "The launch of Axiom Mission-04 (Ax-04), which includes the launch of India's first astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station, has been postponed. The launch originally targeted on May 29, 2025 was deferred due to observation in electrical harness in Crew Dragon Module, to June 8, 2025 The launch was postponed by one day to June 09, 2025 due to delay in preparedness of the Falcon 9 vehicle for the launch from Florida. The launch date was further postpone to June 10, 2025, due to unfavourable weather in the ascent corridor. Additional observation of oxygen leakage in the engine bay was observed during the preparation for hot fire test conducted on June 08, 2025. Moreover, there was an observation of an anomaly in one of the engine actuator which was replaced along with the controller. Anticipating the quick resolution of LOX leak issue, the launch was rescheduled to June 11, 2025. During the appraisal of technical issues by Axiom & SpaceX to ISRO delegation on June 10, 2025, ISRO recommended to carry out in-situ repairs or replacement and conduct a low-temperature leak test to validate system performance and integrity, before proceeding with launch clearance. On June 11, 2025, NASA informed that they are working with Roscosmos to evaluate a new pressure signature indicating a leak in the aft most segment of the ISS Zvezda Russian service module, after the recent repair attempt. In order to assess the situation and determine the need for further troubleshooting, the launch of Axiom-4 mission is being postponed. The revised launch schedule will be announced by NASA and Axiom after the activities and technical reviews are satisfactorily completed. UNI GV 2142
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
After fourth delay, Axiom Mission to get new launch date; ISRO says safety top-priority
The launch of Axiom Mission-04 (Ax-04), carrying India's second astronaut, Shubhanshu Shukla , along with three other members, to the International Space Station (ISS) was postponed multiple times due to technical issues and safety reviews this week. The Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO ) on Friday said the revised launch schedule will be announced by NASA and Axiom after the activities and technical reviews are satisfactorily completed. So far, the launch has been postponed four times due to issues in the electrical harness in the Crew Dragon module, unpreparedness of the Falcon 9 -- the launch vehicle, weather conditions and the oxygen leakage in the engine bay of the ISS, being the latest. The Indian space agency said its delegation recommended carrying out in-situ repairs or replacement and conducting a low-temperature leak test to validate system performance and integrity, before proceeding with launch clearance. 'ISRO is working closely with Axiom Space, NASA and SpaceX as they responsibly address the ISS Zvezda module observation causing the Ax‑4 delay. Safety and mission integrity remain our top priorities,' V Narayanan, chairman, ISRO, said in a statement on Friday. The success of Ax-4 is critical for India to provide hands-on experience in spaceflight operations, launch protocols, microgravity experiments, and emergency preparedness. ISRO is counting on Shukla's insights to prepare for the highly anticipated Ganganyaan mission , during which a crew of three members will be launched to an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission. Following the first human spaceflight mission from India, the Bharatiya Antariksh Station will be built. India paid Rs 550 crore for a seat on the Ax-4 mission to understand the technicalities of operating such a mission on its own. Meanwhile, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, after the postponement of the mission, has again voiced concerns about the ISS. 'There are potentially serious concerns about the long-term safety of the @Space_Station (ISS). Some parts of it are simply getting too old and obviously that risk grows over time,' he wrote on X. The billionaire added that though his firm SpaceX earns billions of dollars from transporting astronauts and cargo to the ISS, 'I nonetheless would like to go on record recommending that it be deorbited within 2 years.' Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories The construction of Zarya, the firstcontrol module of the ISS, started in November 1998 and was completed in 2011. Zvezda, on which the oxygen leakage was found, is the third module to have docked with the Zarya module on July 25, 2000.
New Indian Express
12 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Axiom-4 launch delayed indefinitely due to multiple reasons: ISRO, NASA
BENGALURU: The launch of the Axiom-4 mission (Ax-4) has not just been delayed because of poor weather conditions and leak in the liquid oxygen cylinder, but due to many more reasons. One of them is the detection of the increasing air leak in the Zvezda service module in the International Space Station (ISS) by the NASA team. The experts from ISRO also acknowledged this and said that this is one of the other reasons for the delay that has been happening since May 2025. The ISRO and NASA teams said that the mission has been indefinitely postponed till things are corrected. ISRO has also stressed upon the need for in-situ repairs or replacements and better testing mechanisms before launching the 14- day long manned mission. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said they were closely working to address the issues. 'Safety of the astronauts and the mission's integrity is our top priority,' Narayanan said The NASA team added that they are working with Roscosmos, Russia's Space Agency, to understand the air pressure and its current impact because of the gas leak. The NASA team noted that the increasing air leak was noted during their recent inspection ahead of the Ax-4 launch.
