The Axiom-4 commercial mission to the International Space Station, carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others, is now scheduled to launch on June 19, ISRO confirmed on Saturday. Originally set for June 11, the launch faced delays first due to a fuel leak in SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket, and later because of a leak detected in the Russian segment of the ISS. The mission, operated by Axiom Space and launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marks a significant milestone in India’s expanding space collaboration and Shukla’s participation underscores the country’s growing presence in international human spaceflight efforts.

ISRO confirms Falcon 9 liquid oxygen Rocket leak resolved
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has confirmed that the liquid oxygen leak in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle, which had delayed the much-anticipated Axiom-4 mission, has been successfully rectified. “During a follow-on coordination meeting between ISRO, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, it was confirmed that the liquid oxygen leak observed in the Falcon 9 launch vehicle has been successfully resolved,” ISRO said in a statement.

Separately, Axiom Space informed that it is working closely with NASA to assess a pressure anomaly in the Russian Zvezda Service Module on board the International Space Station (ISS), which also contributed to the launch postponement.

Axiom Space is now targeting June 19, 2025, for the launch of its Ax-04 mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission was initially slated for May 29 but faced a series of delays due to technical issues, including those on the Falcon-9 rocket.

What we know about the crew?
The Ax-04 crew includes former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson as mission commander, with ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla serving as pilot. The two mission specialists are ESA project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The 14-day mission marks a significant milestone, signalling the return of India, Poland, and Hungary to human spaceflight.