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NDTV
2 hours ago
- Science
- NDTV
Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom Mission Gets New Launch Date After 5 Delays
New Delhi: After several delays, Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is likely to fly to the International Space Station on June 19, the Indian Space Research Organisation said in an update. Five times the mission has been postponed, some attributed to weather issues, at least one because of a leak of liquid oxygen detected on the Falcon-9 rocket and another because of a glitch at the International Space Station, where the astronauts would spend 14 days. The mission was initially set for May 29, after which it was postponed to June 8, then delayed to June 10, later to June 11 and on June 12, a glitch at the space station postponed the mission. Now, ISRO has announced the new date, Thursday, June 19. Incidentally, neither NASA Space Operations, SpaceX, nor Axiom Space have announced the new date. ISRO, in a statement, said, "During a follow-on coordination meeting between ISRO, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, it was confirmed that the liquid oxygen leak observed in the Falcon 9 launch vehicle has been successfully resolved. Separately, Axiom Space informed that they are working closely with NASA to assess the pressure anomaly in the Zvezda Service Module on board the International Space Station. Axiom Space is now targeting June 19, 2025, for the launch of the Ax-04 mission." On Thursday, SpaceX reported technical glitches on the Falcon-9 rocket after a leak of liquid oxygen was detected during a static test done as the vehicle stood tall on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. ISRO intervened and sought a "validation" of the repairs. The rocket is now ready for a lift off to the space station, where the astronauts will spend 14 days. On the earlier postponement, Dr V Narayanan, Chairman, ISRO, told NDTV, "It is a good decision to postpone the mission as human crew were involved and safety was paramount." Axiom-4 Mission The Axiom-4 mission, operated by Houston-based Axiom Space in partnership with NASA, is a commercial venture where India has purchased a seat for an Indian astronaut for Rs 550 crores. The Axiom-4 mission, sometimes called Mission Akash Ganga, will carry a four-member international crew aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft flying on a Falcon-9 rocket to the International Space Station (ISS). The crew includes Dr Peggy Whitson from the United States as mission commander, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both serving as mission specialists. Group Captain Shukla is the designated pilot for this mission. Dr Whitson is a 64-year-old biochemist and former NASA astronaut, and is the most experienced American astronaut with 675 days in space. Her extensive experience includes 10 spacewalks totalling over 60 hours, and she serves as Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space. Her leadership is expected to provide invaluable mentorship to Shukla during the mission. On the fortnight-long mission, the crew will conduct 60 scientific experiments, of which seven are proposed by Indian researchers. Group Captain Shukla will also participate in a space-to-Earth outreach program and interact with a VIP from space. Seven crew members are already at the ISS. If Group Captain Shukla does travel to space, he will become India's second astronaut or Gaganyatri after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who went to space as part of an Indo-Soviet friendship mission to the Russian space station in 1984. Group Captain Shukla is currently in quarantine and is healthy to travel on this maiden mission to the International Space Station as an Indian.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Science
- Mint
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 mission to ISS now rescheduled for May 19
The long-postponed Axiom-4 commercial mission to the International Space Station, which includes Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla among its crew of four, is now scheduled to launch on June 19, according to an official release by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday. 'During a follow-on coordination meeting between ISRO, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, it was confirmed that the liquid oxygen leak observed in the Falcon 9 launch vehicle has been successfully resolved,' the ISRO said in a statement. "Separately, Axiom Space informed that they are working closely with NASA to assess the pressure anomaly in the Zvezda Service Module on board the International Space Station," it said. "Axiom Space is now targeting June 19, 2025, for the launch of the Ax-04 mission," ISRO said. Earth sciences minister Jitendra Singh shared an update on X, he added, '🚀 Update on Axiom-4 Mission to ISS 🇮🇳🌌 Launch date of the Axiom-4 mission carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station is, as of now, rescheduled for June 19, 2025. Also, Space X team has confirmed that all the issues, that led to earlier postponement of the launch, have been duly addressed. Further update, if any, will be accordingly shared.' Originally set to lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 11, the mission faced delays—first due to a fuel leak in SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket, and later because of a leak in the Russian segment of the International Space Station. The astronauts were originally scheduled for lift-off on May 29, which was put off to June 8, June 10 and June 11, when SpaceX, the providers of the launch rocket and the space capsule, detected a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon-9 rocket. Former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space's director of human spaceflight, Peggy Whitson, will lead the upcoming commercial mission as commander, with ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla serving as the pilot, PTI reported. Joining them as mission specialists are Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, a project astronaut from the European Space Agency representing Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The 14-day mission marks a significant milestone, symbolizing the revival of human spaceflight efforts for India, Poland, and Hungary. (With inputs from agencies)
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
Shubhanshu Shukla's Ax-04 mission: Liquid oxygen leak resolved; June 19 new launch date
Captain Shubhanshu Shukla with his group. NEW DELHI: The liquid oxygen leak detected in the Falcon 9 launch vehicle , which postponed the launch of Ax-04 mission , has been fixed, the Indian Space Research Organisation ( Isro ) announced on Saturday. The new launch date being targetted is June 19. At a subsequent coordination meeting involving ISRO, Axiom Space , and SpaceX, confirmation was received that the liquid oxygen leak detected in the Falcon 9 launch vehicle had been effectively addressed. In a separate development, Axiom Space reported their ongoing collaboration with Nasa to evaluate the pressure irregularity discovered in the Zvezda Service Module aboard the International Space Station. In a press release, Isro said, "During a follow-on coordination meeting between ISRO, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, it was confirmed that the liquid oxygen leak observed in the Falcon 9 launch vehicle has been successfully resolved. Separately, Axiom Space informed that they are working closely with NASA to assess the pressure anomaly in the Zvezda Service Module onboard the International Space Station. Axiom Space is now targeting June 19, 2025 for the launch of the Ax-04 mission." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The astronauts were originally scheduled for lift-off on May 29, which was put off to June 8, June 10 and June 11, when SpaceX, the providers of the launch rocket and the space capsule, detected a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon-9 rocket. Former Nasa astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, Peggy Whitson, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the pilot. The two mission specialists are European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The 14-day mission will "realise the return" to human spaceflight for India, Poland and Hungary.
News18
3 hours ago
- Science
- News18
Launch Of Axiom-4 Mission Carrying India's Shubhanshu Shukla On June 19: ISRO
Last Updated: The Axiom-4 space mission, launching on June 19, will take four astronauts, including Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, to the ISS aboard SpaceX's Falcon-9. After several delays, the Axiom Space is now targetting to launch the 'Axiom-4' space mission on June 19, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said. 'During a follow-on coordination meeting between ISRO, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, it was confirmed that the liquid oxygen leak observed in the Falcon 9 launch vehicle has been successfully resolved. Separately, Axiom Space informed that they are working closely with NASA to assess the pressure anomaly in the Zvezda Service Module onboard the International Space Station. Axiom Space is now targeting June 19, 2025 for the launch of the Ax-04 mission," a statement by the ISRO read. The space mission named will take four astronauts, including Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, to the space on board SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket. The spaceflight was earlier expected to launch on June 10 but bad weather prompted space agency to delay it by a day. According to the details, the mission was postponed after engineers sought more time to repair a leak in SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket. On June 19, the space crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) from Launch Complex-39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida from which Astronaut Neil Armstrong lifted off on the Apollo 11 mission on July 16, 1969, and became the first human to step on the moon. With this space odyssey, Shubhanshu Shukla will register his name in history for being the second Indian to go to space after Rakesh Sharma. According to NASA, this will be the fourth private astronaut mission. Annocing the postment earlier this week, the NASA had said, 'NASA and Axiom Space are postponing the launch of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. As part of an ongoing investigation, NASA is working with Roscosmos to understand a new pressure signature, after the recent post-repair effort in the aft most segment of the International Space Station's Zvezda service module." All About Axiom-4 Mission NASA's Axiom-4 mission will 'realize the return" to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation's first government-sponsored flight after over 40 years. While Axiom-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the ISS. The four crew members will be led by Axiom Space's Director of Human Spaceflight, Peggy Whitson while Shukla will serve as the pilot in the mission. This historic mission highlights how Axiom Space is redefining the pathway to low-Earth orbit and elevating national space programs globally. The space crew will carry out around 60 experiments during their 14-day stay in space, ranging from life science to technology demonstrations to diabetes research. So far the mission has been deferred five times. Indian Air Force Group Captain Shukla (39) — picked by ISRO as the prime astronaut — is currently in pre-launch quarantine which is a standard protocol to protect astronauts from potential infections before the launch. First Published: June 14, 2025, 12:10 IST
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Science
- Straits Times
Space station leaks trigger delay to private astronaut mission
Small cracks on the ISS in recent years, particularly on the ageing Russian segment, mean the ISS will be retired by 2030. PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON - Nasa indefinitely delayed a four-person crew's mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 12 over an escalating probe into air leaks aboard the orbiting laboratory's Russian segment. The US space agency said it was working with Roscosmos, Russia's space agency, to 'understand a new pressure signature' detected by cosmonauts in the Zvezda Service Module, a more than two-decade-old core compartment that for months has sprung small leaks. 'Cosmonauts aboard the space station recently performed inspections of the pressurised module's interior surfaces, sealed some additional areas of interest, and measured the current leak rate,' Nasa said, in a statement. 'Following this effort, the segment now is holding pressure.' The agency did not immediately respond to questions on what the leak rate was. Small cracks on the ISS in recent years, particularly on the ageing Russian segment, have contributed to the international partnership's decision to retire the ISS by 2030. Leaks of air from the cracks have been minor and posed no immediate safety threats to the station's astronauts but are increasingly worrisome signs of ageing that Nasa and Roscosmos have been investigating, while having crew members patch the leaks with tape, glue and other solutions. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
