Launch date of Axiom-4 mission carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to ISS, rescheduled for 19th June

Axiom-4 mission has been postponed for a long time now due to various glitches and issues. This mission carries Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla among its crew of four to the International Space Station. Initially, this mission was set for May 29, but the mission faced various delays.

ISRO and Earth Sciences Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, have shared an update that the Axiom-4 mission launch is now rescheduled for 19th June 2025.

🚀 Update on Axiom-4 Mission to ISS 🇮🇳🌌

Launch date of the Axiom-4 mission carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station is, as of now, rescheduled for June 19, 2025.

Also, Space X team has confirmed that all the issues, that led to earlier…

— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) June 14, 2025

The launch originally targeted on May 29 was deferred due to observation in the electrical harness in the Crew Dragon Module, to 8th June. The launch date was then postponed to 9th June, due to a delay in the preparedness of the Falcon 9 vehicle for the launch. The delay didn’t stop here; the launch date was shifted to 10th June due to unfavorable weather in the ascent corridor.

It was also revealed that additional observation of oxygen leakage in the engine bay was observed during the preparation for the hot fire test conducted on 8th June. Moreover, there was an observation of an anomaly in one of the engine actuators, which was replaced along with the controller. Anticipating the quick resolution of the LOX leak issue, the launch was rescheduled to 11th June.

Then, during the appraisal of technical issues by Axiom & SpaceX to the ISRO delegation on June 10, ISRO recommended to carry out in-situ repairs or replacement and conduct a low-temperature leak test to validate system performance and integrity, before proceeding with launch clearance.

Later on June 11, NASA informed that they are working with Roscosmos to evaluate a new pressure signature indicating a leak in the aftmost segment of the ISS Zvezda Russian service module, after the recent repair attempt. In order to assess the situation and determine the need for further troubleshooting, the launch of the Axiom-4 mission was again postponed.

Now, in the latest update, ISRO revealed that 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. Axiom Space informed that they are working closely with NASA to assess the pressure anomaly in the Zvezda Service module onboard the ISS. Therefore, the launch date is now rescheduled to June 19th, 2025.