Axiom 4 Mission with Indian Astronaut Postponed Again

Millions of Indians were left disappointed after the Axiom 4 mission to the International Space Station, piloted by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, was delayed for the second time on June 11. The last time an Indian went to space was in 1984 when Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was part of a Soviet Union mission. Shukla would have been the second after a long wait of 41 years.

Originally scheduled for June 10, the launch was postponed by a day because of windy weather conditions. The next day they found a leak in the oxygen system that needed to be addressed. Hours before the astronauts were to take off, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released a statement, ‘NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are standing down from the launch opportunity on Wednesday, June 11, of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair a liquid oxygen leak identified during post-static fire Falcon 9 rocket inspections. A new launch date for the fourth private astronaut mission will be provided once repair work is complete, pending range availability.’

Axiom 4 is a venture of a private company Axiom Space. They use rockets of Space X and the launch was to happen from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

Such delays are par for the course for space missions since conditions and equipment have to be in perfect order. A new date will be announced soon. When Shukla does get to the International Space Station it will be a historic moment for India. He will be the first from the country to get to it. The crew, also represented by astronauts from Poland and Hungary, will remain there for two weeks conducting numerous experiments, including those set up by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

For India, the Axiom 4 mission is a precursor to ISRO’s own manned spaceflight mission Gaganyaan slated for 2027. It hopes to get valuable experience, both in launch and astronaut training, by participating in Axiom 4.

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