‘Tarikh pe Tarikh': What if Shubhanshu Shukla-led Axiom mission 4 misses its June 30 launch deadline?

NASA has postponed the much-anticipated launch of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the
International Space Station
(ISS), originally set for June 22. In a post on X, the ISS confirmed that the mission team—comprising NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom Space—is standing down from the launch to assess recent technical developments and operational constraints. The
Indian astronaut
Shubhanshu Shukla-led mission was earlier rescheduled for June 22 (Sunday).
'@NASA, @Axiom_Space, and @SpaceX continue reviewing launch opportunities for Axiom Mission 4,' the post read. 'NASA is standing down from a launch on Sunday, June 22, and will target a new launch date in the coming days.'
The delay follows recent repair work on the Russian Zvezda service module's aft segment, which has prompted NASA to conduct additional evaluations of station operations. The ISS's complex and tightly integrated systems mean the arrival of any new crew must be carefully coordinated to avoid disrupting ongoing missions.
Clock Ticking on a Tight Launch Window
The urgency stems from the mission's narrow launch window—available only until June 30. Beyond that, opportunities dry up due to a combination of scheduled undocking/docking of Russian cargo vehicles and a high solar beta angle period, during which the station receives continuous sunlight, complicating thermal management and operations.
NASA's ISS program manager Dana Weigel had earlier reportedly said that while launch options remain open through June 30, the next available window would only open in mid-July.
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Delays Could Derail Months of Preparation
Ax-4 is no ordinary mission. It carries a four-member crew—each of whom has been under strict quarantine for nearly three weeks—to conduct 60 tightly timed science experiments, including seven backed by ISRO. Further delays could affect crew health and degrade experiment viability.
Compounding matters, a previous launch attempt was aborted after a liquid oxygen leak was detected during a hot test of the Falcon 9 booster. The leak, found in the rocket's propulsion bay, forced SpaceX and Axiom to fix and revalidate the system before attempting another launch.
With the weather currently favorable over Florida, all eyes are on meteorologists and mission managers for a green light. The stakes are particularly high for countries like India, Hungary, and Poland, who are hoping to send their first astronauts to the ISS.
If Axiom Mission 4 can't get off the ground by June 30, not only will it face a minimum two-week delay, but it may also risk losing critical resources, scheduling priority, and even experiment success. For now, it's a high-stakes waiting game at the launchpad—where every minute counts.

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