Axiom-4 mission carrying Shubhanshu Shukla delayed as SpaceX detects leak

In a statement, SpaceX announced that it was 'standing down' from the Falcon 9 launch of the Axiom-4 mission, which will be carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others

The launch of the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has been postponed again due to a technical issue with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.

 

The Axiom-4 mission will carry Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla along with three other crew members to the ISS.

 

In a statement posted on X, SpaceX announced it was “standing down” from the launch due to a leak detected in the rocket’s liquid oxygen system. “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 identified during post static fire booster inspections,” the company said. 

 

It added that a new launch date will be announced once repairs are complete.

 

Shukla is poised to become the second Indian to travel into space after Rakesh Sharma, who orbited Earth for eight days in 1984 as part of the Soviet Union's Interkosmos programme.

 

Hailing from Lucknow and known by the call sign 'Shuks', Shukla is part of a commercial spaceflight mission supported by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa).

 

The Axiom-4 mission will carry out several experiments aboard the ISS, including research into food and nutrition. These experiments have been developed under a joint initiative between Isro and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from Nasa. 

 

The 14-day mission will also include interactions between the Axiom-4 crew and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, school students, and members of the space industry, according to PTI.

 

Isro shared additional details about the delay in a post on X: “As part of launch vehicle preparation to validate the performance of the booster stage of Falcon 9 launch vehicle, seven second of hot test was carried out on the launch pad. It is understood that LOX leakage was detected in the propulsion bay during the test.”

 

This marks the fourth delay for the Axiom-4 mission. The most recent rescheduling had moved the launch to 11 June due to unfavourable weather conditions, including a 45 per cent chance of rain and strong winds.

 

The mission remains a milestone in India’s space collaboration efforts and commercial spaceflight participation, with Shukla’s journey representing a significant step forward.

 

(With agency inputs)