Launch of Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla postponed for the 7th time. Here's why
Just over a day after announcing the launch of the Ax-4 mission to space on June 22, Nasa has pulled the plug again. This marks the seventh postponement of the much-awaited launch of the private mission with Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla.The Ax-4 mission was initially planned to launch on May 29, 2025. However, technical snags, weather conditions and leaks aboard the Space Station have repeatedly pushed the mission beyond its timeline. advertisementThe 14-day mission was scheduled to liftoff on Sunday before Nasa announced an indefinite delay to the mission.WHY IS AX-4 LAUNCH POSTPONED THIS TIME?
The latest postponement follows Nasa's concerns over a recent repair work in the aft (back) most segment of the orbital laboratory's Zvezda service module."The space agency needs additional time to continue evaluating International Space Station operations after recent repair work ," Nasa said in an update. It added, "because of the space station's interconnected and interdependent systems, NASA wants to ensure the station is ready for additional crew members, and the agency is taking the time necessary to review data."The American space agency confirmed that the crew remains in quarantine in Florida, and the astronauts stand ready to launch when the station is ready to receive them.advertisementPeggy Whitson, former Nasa astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot. The two mission specialists are European Space Agency project astronaut Sawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary."It is not uncommon for the agency and its international partners to adjust launches around changes in operations aboard the space station. Teams are making progress evaluating the transfer tunnel configuration, resulting in an updated launch opportunity for the private astronaut mission," Nasa had said.
The decision comes as Nasa requires more time to evaluate ISS operations. (Photo: Axiom)
ISRO MONITORING CLOSELYWith the launch now delayed almost a month and no next date announced yet, the Indian space agency is rushing to replenish the biological samples planned for the Space Station.The Indian astronaut is scheduled to conduct seven space-based studies in the flying laboratory, while the entire mission will see over 60 such experiments to enhance our understanding of biological and physiological processes in space. The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, originally scheduled for May 29, 2025, faced several delays due to technical and weather-related setbacks. It was first postponed to June 8 after issues with the Crew Dragon's electrical harness, then pushed to June 9 due to Falcon 9 readiness delays. Poor weather in the ascent corridor led to another slip to June 10.During pre-launch tests, an oxygen leak and an engine actuator anomaly were found on June 8. After replacing the faulty components, the launch was rescheduled for June 11 and then to June 12 before it was pushed to June 22 owing to leaks detected aboard the ISS.Tune InMust Watch
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