Axiom-4 Mission Rescheduled To This Date: Indian Astronaut Set For Historic Space Journey

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has confirmed that the Axiom-4 mission, carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS), is now scheduled to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre on June 19, 2025. The much-anticipated mission was previously delayed due to technical glitches.

Union Minister of Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh took to social media to make the announcement, stating: "The 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. Also, Space X team has confirmed that all the issues, that led to earlier postponement of the launch, have been duly addressed."

Further update, if any, will be accordingly shared, he said.

Technical Setbacks Resolved

The mission, which was originally slated for launch on June 11, faced two major setbacks—a fuel leak in SpaceX’s Falcon-9 launch vehicle and a pressure anomaly in the Russian Zvezda module aboard the ISS. Both issues have now reportedly been resolved after extensive inspections and testing by the respective agencies.

Axiom-4 Mission Crew & Objectives

The Axiom-4 crew consists of four astronauts: Peggy Whitson (USA) – Mission Commander, Shubhanshu Shukla (India) – Pilot, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland) – Payload Specialist and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) – Payload Specialist.

Shukla's participation in the mission is a landmark achievement for India's growing human spaceflight ambitions. During the 14-day mission, the crew will carry out seven ISRO-designed scientific experiments, ranging from microgravity research to life sciences and fluid dynamics. 

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