Axiom-4 Space Mission Featuring Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Faces Further Delay
The Axiom-4 private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), with Indian Air Force fighter pilot Shubhanshu Shukla serving as mission pilot, has been postponed again, now targeted for no earlier than June 22. Axiom Space announced the delay allows NASA to further evaluate ISS operations following recent repair work on the Russian Zvezda service module. The crew, also including astronauts from Hungary and Poland, remains in quarantine in Florida.
Unpacked:
The Axiom-4 mission was postponed first due to a liquid oxygen leak and then again because of an unrelated leak in the ISS’s Russian Zvezda service module, prompting NASA to further evaluate and repair ISS systems before approving the mission’s launch.
The Ax-4 crew includes Peggy Whitson (commander, former NASA astronaut), Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (mission specialist from Poland), and Tibor Kapu (mission specialist from Hungary), alongside Indian pilot Shubhanshu Shukla. This mission marks the first time astronauts from Hungary and Poland will visit the ISS.
The Axiom-4 crew plans to spend up to 14 days aboard the ISS, conducting scientific experiments, outreach, and commercial activities. Their work will contribute to scientific research and foster international collaboration in space.
Axiom-4 is historic as it includes the first astronauts from India, Hungary, and Poland to participate in a mission to the ISS, marking a major milestone in each nation’s human spaceflight program and expanding international involvement in commercial space missions.