New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has confirmed the delay of the highly anticipated Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station (ISS), originally scheduled for June 11, 2025. The mission, which was set to carry India’s first Gaganyatri (astronaut) to space in decades, has been postponed due to technical issues and safety concerns.
V Narayanan, Secretary of the Department of Space, Chairman of ISRO, and Chairman of the Space Commission, emphasized that the safety of the crew and the integrity of the mission remain the organization’s top priorities. “We are working closely with Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX as they responsibly address the technical concerns,” Narayanan said in a statement.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), ISRO reaffirmed its collaboration with international partners, stating:
“ISRO is working closely with Axiom Space, NASA, SpaceX as they responsibly address the ISS Zvezda module observation causing the Ax-4 delay. Safety and mission integrity remain our top priorities.”
The delay follows SpaceX’s announcement on June 11, postponing the Falcon 9 rocket launch due to a liquid oxygen (LOx) leak discovered during post-static fire inspections of the booster. SpaceX stated:
“Standing down from tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak… We will share a new launch date once repairs are complete and range availability is confirmed.”
Initially, the launch was pushed from June 10 to June 11 due to adverse weather conditions, but the LOx leak has now further delayed the timeline.
Despite the setback, the Axiom-4 mission remains a milestone in space exploration. The Ax-4 crew includes astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary — marking the first-ever mission to the ISS for all three countries. It is also the second government-sponsored human spaceflight from India since 1984.
India’s representative on the mission, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is set to become the second Indian national to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma’s historic mission in 1984.
Axiom Space highlighted the significance of the mission, noting that Ax-4 “realises the return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary,” and serves as a major step forward in international space collaboration.
A revised launch date is expected to be announced soon, pending resolution of the technical issues and favorable launch conditions.
