Shubhanshu Shukla-led Axiom-4 mission delayed again, no launch on June 22

The Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has been postponed once again. The ISS official X handle wrote on Friday morning that NASA is standing down from a launch on Sunday, June 22, and will target a new launch date in the coming days.Notably, this comes after Axiom Space said in a statement, "NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are now targeting no earlier than Sunday, June 22, for the launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4."advertisementThe decision comes as NASA requires more time to evaluate ISS operations following recent repair work in the aft section of the Zvezda service module. Given the complex and interconnected systems aboard the station, NASA is taking a cautious approach to ensure the ISS is fully prepared to accommodate additional crew members.
Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and now director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will lead the upcoming commercial mission as commander. ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is set to serve as the mission's pilot. Joining them as mission specialists are Sawosz Uznaski-Winiewski, a project astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA) from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.Meanwhile, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft remain in good condition at Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.advertisementOriginally scheduled for launch on May 29, the mission has faced several delays - first to June 8, then to June 10 and 11 - after engineers identified a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 rocket's boosters. Additional concerns over leaks in the ageing Russian module of the International Space Station further contributed to the postponements.

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