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Axiom-4 mission carrying India's Shubhanshu Shukla delayed for 6th time
Nasa has once again postponed the launch of the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission, which includes Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla as part of its four-member crew, was rescheduled for Sunday, June 22. It will now take place on a date to be announced later.
Axiom Space said Nasa has decided to stand down from the planned launch of Axiom Mission 4 on Sunday, June 22, and will announce a new launch date in the coming days.
The space agency requires additional time to continue assessing operations aboard the International Space Station following recent repair work in the aft-most section of the orbital laboratory's Zvezda service module, it said.
. @NASA, @Axiom_Space, and @SpaceX continue reviewing launch opportunities for Axiom Mission 4. NASA is standing down from a launch on Sunday, June 22, and will target a new launch date in the coming days. https://t.co/GKAvaAd4UH
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) June 19, 2025
'Given the space station's complex and interdependent systems, Nasa is taking the necessary time to review data and ensure it is ready to support additional crew members,' Axiom Space said in a statement.
Nasa mission delayed for sixth time
This is the sixth time the mission has been postponed. Originally scheduled for launch on May 29, it was subsequently delayed to June 8, then to June 10, June 11, June 19, and later to June 22 before the most recent deferment.
Ax-4 mission marks historic milestone for India, Poland, Hungary
The Ax-4 crew comprises astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation's first mission to the International Space Station and their first government-sponsored human spaceflight in over 40 years, according to Axiom Space.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will become India's second astronaut to go to space, following Rakesh Sharma's mission in 1984. His participation in Axiom Space's fourth private astronaut mission (Ax-4) marks a key milestone in India's space collaboration with Nasa.
Axiom Space stated that the Ax-4 mission would 'realise the return' to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, signalling a historic revival of government-sponsored space missions for all three countries.
Ax-4 crew continues to remain in quarantine in Florida, in line with all established health and safety protocols.
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First Indian epigraphical reference to Halley's comet found in 15th century copper plate inscription
The first Indian epigraphical reference to Halley's comet has been discovered in a copper plate inscription dated 1456 CE belonging to the Vijayanagara period and preserved at the Srisailam Mallikarjunaswamy temple in Andhra Pradesh. Dr. K. Munirathnam Reddy, Director, Epigraphy Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), who announced the discovery, told The Hindu that the inscription is written in Sanskrit, using Nagari script, and refers to the appearance of a comet and a subsequent meteor shower — events that historically coincide with the 1456 appearance of Halley's comet. The inscription records a grant made by the Vijayanagara ruler Mallikarjuna to a Vedic scholar on Śaka 1378, Dhātru Āshāḍha ba. 11, corresponding to Monday, June 28, 1456 CE. The grant was issued 'in order to mitigate the great calamity believed to arise due to the appearance of a comet (dhūmakētu mahōtpāta śāntyartham), and the associated meteor shower (Prakāśyāya mahōtpāta śāntyartham)', said Mr. Munirathnam. The king donated a village named Simgapura, located in Kelajhasima of Hastinavati Vemṭhe, as an agrahāra to a Brahmana named Limgaṇarya, a Vedic scholar from Kaḍiyalapura. Dr. Reddy said this place is probably present-day Kaḍiyapulanka in Galividu mandalam, Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh, and noted that the scholar was probably well-versed in astronomy. Dr. Munirathnam noted that while references to dhumaketus (comets) are found in ancient and medieval Indian texts, this is the first inscriptional record that has been discovered. 'What makes this particularly significant,' he said, 'is that the year mentioned in the inscription and the reference to the comet's appearance matches the year in which Halley's comet was later established to have appeared,' said He explained that in traditional belief systems and from the available historical records, the appearance of a comet and meteor shower was considered inauspicious, and associated with misfortune and calamities in many parts of the world. Mr. Reddy said the appearance of the comet and the beliefs surrounding it are vividly expressed in the inscription in the phrase: Prakāśyāya mahōtpāta śāntyartham dattavān vibhuḥ — meaning: this grant was made in order to pacify the calamities that may arise due to the illuminating comets and meteor shower upon the king and his kingdom. The discovery of reference to comets in the inscription was made during the critical 'line by line' editing of a set of 21 unpublished copper plate charters held by the Srisailam temple authorities. The collection, comprising 78 copper leaves, will soon be published in book form, he added.
