Latest news with #IndianGaganyatri
India.com
8 hours ago
- Science
- India.com
Axiom-4 Launch Postponed: ISRO, SpaceX Share Crucial Update On Space Mission
The much-awaited multi-nation space mission Axiom-4 has been delayed due to a technical issue. A liquid oxygen (LOX) leak was detected during a 7-second hot test of the Falcon 9 booster, prompting a joint review by ISRO, Axiom, and SpaceX teams. However, with the June 11 launch postponed, all eyes on the next date and time for the Space mission. Sharing an update about the issue, SpaceX said, "Standing down from tomorrow's Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the Space Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections. Once complete – and pending Range availability – we will share a new launch date." Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said that it has been decided to correct the leak and carry out necessary validation test before clearing for the launch. "Postponement of Axiom 04 mission slated for launch on 11th June 2025 for sending first Indian Gaganyatri to ISS. As part of launch vehicle preparation to validate the performance of booster stage of Falcon 9 launch vehicle, seven second of hot test was carried out on the launch pad. It is understood that LOX leakage was detected in the propulsion bay during the test. Based on the discussion on this topic by ISRO team with the experts of Axiom and SpaceX it has been decided to correct the leak and carry out necessary validation test before clearing for the launch. Hence the launch of Axiom 04 slated for 11th June 2025 for sending first Indian Gaganyatri to ISS is postponed," said ISRO on X. The Axiom-4 mission crew includes members from India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation's first mission to the space station in history and the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years, according to Axiom Space. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be India's second national astronaut to go to space since 1984. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is part of Axiom Space's fourth private astronaut mission (Ax-4), marking a historic moment for India's space collaboration with NASA. Slawosz Uznanski, European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut, will be the second Polish astronaut since 1978. Tibor Kapu will be the second national Hungarian astronaut since 1980. Peggy Whitson will command her second commercial human spaceflight mission, adding to her standing record for the longest cumulative time in space by an American astronaut.
NDTV
15 hours ago
- Science
- NDTV
"He Is Fit And Ready For The Mission": Shubhanshu Shukla's Family
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): Following the postponement of the Axiom 4 mission, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, said that his family is "mentally" prepared for the mission. He said that his family was informed that the mission was postponed at 6 am on Wednesday and another date has not been revealed. Shambhu Dayal Shukla stated that his family is waiting for the announcement of the next date for the Axiom mission. He further said that he spoke to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Tuesday and said that he is "fit" and ready for the mission. "At around 6 AM, we were informed that the mission has been postponed. We have not been informed about the next date. We are mentally prepared for the mission to be launched, and waiting for the announcement of the next date. I spoke to my son yesterday, he is fit and ready for the mission", he told ANI. Earlier today SpaceX announced the postponement of the Falcon 9 launch of the Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), citing the need for additional time to repair a liquid oxygen (LOx) leak. "Standing down from tomorrow's Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections. Once complete - and pending Range availability - we will share a new launch date," the company said in a post on X. Following the announcement, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) also confirmed the delay of the Axiom-4 mission, which was scheduled for launch on June 11, 2025, and was set to carry the first Indian Gaganyatri to the ISS. In a statement, ISRO said: "Postponement of Axiom 04 mission slated for launch on 11th June 2025 for sending first Indian Gaganyatri to ISS. As part of launch vehicle preparation to validate the performance of booster stage of Falcon 9 launch vehicle, seven second of hot test was carried out on the launch pad. It is understood that LOX leakage was detected in the propulsion bay during the test. Based on the discussion on this topic by ISRO team with the experts of Axiom and SpaceX it has been decided to correct the leak and carry out necessary validation test before clearing for the launch. Hence the launch of Axiom 04 slated for 11th June 2025 for sending first Indian Gaganyatri to ISS is postponed. With regards, V. Narayanan, Secretary DOS/ Chairman ISRO and Chairman Space Commission." Despite the delay, the Axiom-4 mission remains significant. The Ax-4 crew includes members from India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation's first mission to the space station in history and the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years, according to Axiom Space. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be India's second national astronaut to go to space since 1984. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is part of Axiom Space's fourth private astronaut mission (Ax-4), marking a historic moment for India's space collaboration with NASA. Slawosz Uznanski, European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut, will be the second Polish astronaut since 1978. Tibor Kapu will be the second national Hungarian astronaut since 1980. Peggy Whitson will command her second commercial human spaceflight mission, adding to her standing record for the longest cumulative time in space by an American astronaut.
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
‘He is fit and ready, we are mentally prepared': Shubhanshu Shukla's family reacts to Axiom-4 launch delay
Following the postponement of the Axiom 4 mission, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla 's father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla , said that his family is "mentally" prepared for the mission. He said that his family was informed that the mission was postponed at 6 am on Wednesday and another date has not been revealed. Shambhu Dayal Shukla stated that his family is waiting for the announcement of the next date for the Axiom mission. He further said that he spoke to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Tuesday and said that he is "fit" and ready for the mission. Also Read: Axiom 04 mission to send Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to ISS postponed again. Here's why "At around 6 AM, we were informed that the mission has been postponed. We have not been informed about the next date. We are mentally prepared for the mission to be launched, and waiting for the announcement of the next date. I spoke to my son yesterday, he is fit and ready for the mission", he told ANI. Live Events Earlier today SpaceX announced the postponement of the Falcon 9 launch of the Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), citing the need for additional time to repair a liquid oxygen (LOx) leak. "Standing down from tomorrow's Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections. Once complete - and pending Range availability - we will share a new launch date," the company said in a post on X. Following the announcement, the Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO ) also confirmed the delay of the Axiom-4 mission, which was scheduled for launch on June 11, 2025, and was set to carry the first Indian Gaganyatri to the ISS. In a statement, ISRO said: "Postponement of Axiom 04 mission slated for launch on 11th June 2025 for sending first Indian Gaganyatri to ISS. As part of launch vehicle preparation to validate the performance of booster stage of Falcon 9 launch vehicle, seven second of hot test was carried out on the launch pad. It is understood that LOX leakage was detected in the propulsion bay during the test. Based on the discussion on this topic by ISRO team with the experts of Axiom and SpaceX it has been decided to correct the leak and carry out necessary validation test before clearing for the launch. Hence the launch of Axiom 04 slated for 11th June 2025 for sending first Indian Gaganyatri to ISS is postponed. With regards, V. Narayanan, Secretary DOS/ Chairman ISRO and Chairman Space Commission." Despite the delay, the Axiom-4 mission remains significant. The Ax-4 crew includes members from India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation's first mission to the space station in history and the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years, according to Axiom Space. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be India's second national astronaut to go to space since 1984. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is part of Axiom Space's fourth private astronaut mission (Ax-4), marking a historic moment for India's space collaboration with NASA. Slawosz Uznanski, European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut, will be the second Polish astronaut since 1978. Tibor Kapu will be the second national Hungarian astronaut since 1980. Peggy Whitson will command her second commercial human spaceflight mission, adding to her standing record for the longest cumulative time in space by an American astronaut.
NDTV
a day ago
- Science
- NDTV
Axiom Launch To Send Shubhanshu Shukla To Space Deferred For Rocket "Repair"
The launch of the Axiom-4 mission that will carry India's second astronaut to space was postponed for a fifth time on Wednesday. In a post on X, SpaceX said the mission to the International Space Station (ISS) was deferred due to a technical glitch in its Falcon 9 rocket that is being used for the launch. The new date for the launch is yet to be decided. "Standing down from tomorrow's Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections. Once complete - and pending Range availability - we will share a new launch date," it posted on the microblogging site. The LOx leak refers to an oxygen leak. Standing down from tomorrow's Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections. Once complete – and pending Range availability – we will share a new launch date — SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 11, 2025 Group Captain Shukla will be the first Indian to fly to the ISS under the private astronaut mission that will launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket, from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The mission is jointly being undertaken by Axiom Space Inc, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). According to ISRO, the oxygen leak was detected in the propulsion bay during a performance test. "As part of launch vehicle preparation to validate the performance of booster stage of Falcon 9 launch vehicle, seven second of hot test was carried out on the launch pad. It is understood that LOX leakage was detected in the propulsion bay during the test. Based on the discussion on this topic by ISRO team with the experts of Axiom and SpaceX it has been decided to correct the leak and carry out necessary validation test before clearing for the launch. Hence the launch of Axiom 04 slated for 11th June 2025 for sending first Indian Gaganyatri to ISS is postponed," ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan said on X. Postponement of Axiom 04 mission slated for launch on 11th June 2025 for sending first Indian Gaganyatri to ISS. As part of launch vehicle preparation to validate the performance of booster stage of Falcon 9 launch vehicle, seven second of hot test was carried out on the launch… — ISRO (@isro) June 11, 2025 The mission was scheduled to take off on Tuesday but was kept on hold due to bad weather. The last time it was deferred was from June 8 to June 10 - again on grounds of adverse weather conditions. Thirty-nine-year-old Shukla will be accompanied by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and mission commander, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Once docked, the astronauts are scheduled to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprising science, outreach and commercial activities. Group Captain Shukla's travel to space comes four decades after Rakesh Sharma's iconic spaceflight onboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft in 1984. He will serve as the Mission Pilot. A decorated test pilot with the IAF, Mr Shukla was shortlisted under ISRO's Human Spaceflight Program (HSP) and is among the top contenders for the Gaganyaan mission, India's first indigenous crewed orbital flight. His journey aboard the Axiom Mission 4 is expected to provide critical hands-on experience in spaceflight operations, launch protocols, microgravity adaptation, and emergency preparedness - all essential for India's crewed space ambitions. The Group Captain will conduct seven experiments in the fields of agriculture, food and human biology when he travels to the ISS next month.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Close watch on weather at NASA's Florida spaceport ahead of Axiom-4 launch on Wednesday
SpaceX, NASA and Axiom Space are closely watching weather patterns at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida where Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others look forward to their travel to the International Space Station (ISS), now scheduled for Wednesday. Addressing a pre-launch press conference, SpaceX Vice President William Gerstenmaier said engineers had fixed some snags in the Falcon-9 rocket that were discovered during the static fire test and had gone unnoticed during the post-flight refurbishment of boosters. The Axiom-4 commercial mission to the ISS had to be put off by a day to Wednesday evening due to inclement weather conditions in the flight path of the SpaceX rocket that would lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 3.5, 4.5 BHK Homes starting at ₹4.89 Cr.* Hero Homes Learn More Undo Gerstenmaier said engineers had discovered a locks leak that was previously seen on the booster during its entry on the last mission and was not fully repaired during the refurbishment. "We are continuing to troubleshoot that. We should get that completed today and we will have that back in configuration. We are installing a purge that will essentially mitigate the leak if it still continues... on the launch day," he said. Live Events Gerstenmaier said engineers also discovered an engine 5 thrust vector control problem and the components associated with that have already been changed. "We will be complete with all our work this (Tuesday) evening and we will be ready to support launch as early as Wednesday," he said. Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO ) Chairman V Narayanan said on Monday that due to weather conditions, the launch of the Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to the ISS was postponed from June 10 to June 11. "The targeted time of launch is 5:30 PM IST on 11th June 2025," Narayanan said in a post on X on Monday. Jimmy Tager, the Launch Weather Officer, 45th Weather Squadron of the US Space Force, said there was surface high pressure to the south east of central Florida, which typically produces south west flow across the area. "Now over the next couple of days, the surface high pressure is going to move further towards the north and that is going to switch our primary flow towards the south east. South east flow does tend to create some more isolated scattered showers to thundershowers in the morning time," he said. He added that even though the Probability of Violation (POV) was lower for the initial attempt (June 10), for the next attempt on Wednesday, the POV does increase to 20 per cent. "And as we get to Thursday (June 12), the backup opportunity POV increases a little bit more to about 25 per cent. So though it is on the lower end, it does look like there could be a possibility of isolated scattered thunderstorms near the area at the launch time," Tager said. "But for the ascent corridor, even though the winds are pretty strong right now, it does look like winds are going to be improving over the next couple of days. As we get to Wednesday, winds will be even better, and Thursday, even better than Wednesday," he added. Dana Weigel, Manager, International Space Station Programme, NASA, said that there are launch opportunities till June 30. She was responding to questions on the launch window for the Axiom-4 mission due to unfavourable weather conditions. "I think we will have the vehicle ready, the crews trained and the cargo loaded. I think we're ready from a hardware standpoint. It is just kind of waiting for the weather to get there. In terms of launch opportunities, we have launch opportunities all the way through June 30," Weigel said. She said the Russian cargo vehicle 'Progress' will undock from the ISS later and a new one will dock for which there would be a brief cut-off for other launches. "Then, we have a brief cut-off for high Solar Beta. Then we pick up again like in the middle of July. So, plenty of opportunities to fly the vehicle," Weigel said. The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission comprises Commander Peggy Whitson, pilot Shukla and specialists Tigor Kapu of Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland. The 14-day mission will "realise the return" to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary.
