New York– The highly anticipated Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), featuring Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, has been postponed yet again due to technical concerns involving the ISS’s Russian-built Zvezda service module.
NASA confirmed the delay in a statement posted on X, citing safety considerations. “Together with @Axiom_Space, we are postponing the launch of #Ax4 to the @Space_Station. A new launch date will be provided once available,” the agency announced.
India’s space agency ISRO also acknowledged the delay, assuring the public that mission safety and coordination with international space partners remain its top priorities.
“ISRO is working closely with @Axiom_Space, @NASA, and @SpaceX as they responsibly address the ISS Zvezda module observation causing the Ax‑4 delay. Safety and mission integrity remain our top priorities,” the agency stated, quoting Dr. V. Narayanan, Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO and the Space Commission.
The Ax-4 mission, operated by U.S.-based Axiom Space, was originally slated for liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 29. Following multiple postponements, the most recent launch date had been set for June 11 at 8:00 a.m. local time (5:30 p.m. IST), but the technical issue with the ISS has pushed the launch indefinitely.
This mission holds major significance for India, as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is poised to become the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS and only the second Indian in space, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s historic 1984 mission aboard a Soviet spacecraft.
Shukla will serve as the pilot on Ax-4, under the command of veteran U.S. astronaut Peggy Whitson. The crew also includes mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Once aboard the ISS, Shukla will carry out cutting-edge experiments in space nutrition and food science. Developed through a collaboration between ISRO and India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA, these experiments aim to advance knowledge in sustainable life-support systems—a critical component for future long-duration space missions.
As global space agencies and Axiom Space work to address the technical observations, a new launch schedule is expected to be announced soon. The delay underscores the complexity of international space collaboration and the unwavering emphasis on safety in human spaceflight. (Source: IANS)
