Axiom-4 launch not expected before June 22 due to safety concerns: Union Minister Jitendra Singh
New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI): Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said that the much-anticipated Axiom-4 space mission, which includes participation by Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is not expected to launch before June 22, citing safety as a key factor in finalising the launch date.
On the Axiom 4 mission, Singh told reporters, 'We have been told that it won't be before 22nd June. There is a safety angle also involved here.'
Following the rescheduling of the launch, Axiom Space said in an official statement that 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.
The change in the targeted launch date allows NASA time to continue evaluating space station operations after recent repair work in the aft (rear) segment of the International Space Station's Zvezda service module, the statement added.
Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and now Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the mission, while ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the pilot. The two mission specialists will be ESA project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
The crew will launch aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.'
In a post on X, Dr Jitendra Singh confirmed the updated launch timeline, writing:
'Axiom Mission 04 to the International Space Station (ISS)... After assessing key parameters, including module fitness, crew health, and weather, @Axiom_Space has indicated that June 22, 2025, may be the next likely launch date of Axiom-04 Mission carrying, among others, the Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, to the ISS.'
He added, 'Further updates, if any, shall be shared accordingly.'
During a press conference, Singh also reflected on broader administrative reforms introduced under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
'You have to prove that you know the skills for which you are applying for the job. That provides the pivotal field, and I'm glad and proud that the Prime Minister announced this from the ramparts of the Red Fort during his Independence Day speech,' he said.
He recalled that within three months of the PM's announcement, all necessary administrative exercises were completed, and from January 1, 2016, new recruitment rules were implemented across India -- except in Jammu and Kashmir, where they were enforced after the abrogation of Article 370.
Singh also spoke about the need to end outdated bureaucratic practices and hierarchies. 'There was a practice that Srinivasan ji was referring to -- the personal management of officers. We managed to break the hierarchy. I started calling all officers directly and saved their mobile numbers. There used to be confusion over who should come in line first. I also refrained from using the phone after 10 PM,' he said.
He noted that such changes created an environment that functioned like an automated system, helping the government achieve key administrative milestones.
Singh added that since taking office, PM Modi's primary focus has remained on the welfare of the poor. 'In his very first speech, the Prime Minister said that his government is dedicated to the poor, the deprived, and those who never got their due. We too have tried to follow that basic mantra in governance,' he said.
He also mentioned reforms aimed at transparency and integrity. 'One of them was about removing attachments and sending a message to the common man. The second was related to the interview process. The third was the prevention of corruption, which was a common complaint against officers in the discharge of their duties,' Singh said.
The Union Minister concluded that these steps laid the foundation for a new governance model that prioritises transparency, efficiency, and inclusion. (ANI)
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