Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom Mission Postponed Due To Glitch At Space Station

A glitch on the International Space Station, where astronauts of the Axiom-4 mission would spend 14 days, has postponed the lift-off to space. Earlier, four postponements on the Axiom 4 mission were reported due to weather and technical problems on the Falcon 9 rocket. 

The glitch at the International Space Station, where NASA says "A pressure signature" on the Russian module has been noticed, is the next cause of the delay.

What NASA Said

"NASA and Axiom Space are postponing the launch of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. As part of an ongoing investigation, NASA is working with Roscosmos to understand a new pressure signature, after the recent post-repair effort in the aft most segment of the International Space Station's Zvezda service module," NASA said in a statement.

"Cosmonauts aboard the space station recently performed inspections of the pressurized module's interior surfaces, sealed some additional areas of interest, and measured the current leak rate. Following this effort, the segment now is holding pressure. The postponement of Axiom Mission 4 provides additional time for NASA and Roscosmos to evaluate the situation and determine whether any additional troubleshooting is necessary. NASA defers to Roscosmos to answer specific questions about the Zvezda module," they said.

"A new launch date for the fourth private astronaut mission will be provided once available."

"Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary."

"The crew will lift off aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida," NASA said.

Yesterday, the mission was deferred for the fourth time, due to a technical glitch in its Falcon 9 rocket that is being used for the launch. 

Fuel Leak Issue And ISRO 

It is unclear whether SpaceX resolved the fuel leak issue on the rocket or is still working to repair it. A leak of liquid oxygen (LoX) was detected, and SpaceX was working to fix it. 

ISRO had objected to the 'band-aid' like solution being offered by SpaceX. Indian space agency played a big role in making sure the launch is postponed till the oxygen leak is fixed on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to ISRO's full satisfaction.

ISRO chairman Dr V Narayanan told NDTV, "He was happy with the decision to postpone flight on June 11, 2025, as human crew were involved and safety was paramount." 

The ISS has a contingent of seven global crew members onboard, with a Japanese astronaut as the commander of the station. The ISS is a football field-sized orbiting laboratory inhabited by humans continuously for the last 25 years. 

Axiom-4 Mission

The Axiom-4 mission is a commercial space flight being spearheaded by a Houston-based private company, Axiom Space. India has purchased a seat on the Axiom-4 mission at the cost Rs 550 crores and so, India has a full stake in ensuring the safety of its own astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and the other crew members from US, Hungary, and Poland he is piloting on a 14-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

There are many opportunities till June 30 this year, when the Axiom-4 mission can still lift off, and further, there could be opportunities in the middle of July. Subsequently, the traffic to the International Space Station would be high.