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.
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