Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station is now anticipated to launch on June 25, according to a recent announcement from NASA. The Axiom-4 mission marks a significant return to space for India, as well as for Hungary and Poland. It was initially scheduled to lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 12:01 pm IST on Wednesday, onboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. NASA stated that the agencies involved are targeting 2:31 a.m. EDT (12:01 PM IST) for the launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station.
The mission is led by Commander Peggy Whitson, with Shukla serving as the mission pilot. Joining them are Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu and Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, who are positioned as mission specialists.
Earlier postponements
Originally set for lift-off on May 29, the launch was postponed multiple times due to several issues. First, it was pushed to June 8, then to June 10, and June 11, when engineers discovered a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 rocket's boosters. Concurrently, NASA identified leaks in the aging Russian module of the International Space Station.
Following further evaluations, the launch was rescheduled for June 19 and then June 22, but it was ultimately delayed to allow NASA to assess operations of the ISS after repairs were made to the Russian module.
The crew is expected to launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre, traveling to the orbiting laboratory aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. NASA has indicated that the targeted docking time is approximately 7 a.m. (4:30 p.m. IST) on Thursday, June 26.
ALSO READ: