New Delhi– The eagerly awaited Axion 04 mission has been delayed once again, following the discovery of a leak in the propulsion bay during a pre-launch test, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed on Wednesday. The mission, led by U.S.-based Axiom Space, was set to launch on June 11 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The mission holds particular significance for India, as it is set to send Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS), making him the first Indian to reach the ISS and the second Indian in space since Rakesh Sharma’s historic flight in 1984.
Originally scheduled for May 29, the launch has now faced multiple delays, having been pushed back to June 8, then June 10, and most recently June 11. During a standard pre-launch hot-fire test conducted on the launch pad, a seven-second booster validation revealed a leak in the Liquid Oxygen (LOX) propulsion bay.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan confirmed the issue: “Postponement of Axiom 04 mission slated for launch on 11th June 2025 for sending first Indian Gaganyatri to ISS. During performance validation of the Falcon 9 booster stage, a LOX leak was detected in the propulsion bay.”
He added, “Following discussions between ISRO, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, it has been decided to repair the leak and conduct additional validation tests before rescheduling the launch. Therefore, the launch is postponed until further notice.”
SpaceX also issued a statement confirming the delay: “Standing down from tomorrow’s (June 11) Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the ISS to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOX leak identified during post static fire booster inspections. Once complete—and pending Range availability—we will share a new launch date.”
Shukla is set to serve as the pilot for the Axion 04 mission under the command of veteran U.S. astronaut Peggy Whitson. The international crew also includes Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both of whom will serve as mission specialists.
Once aboard the ISS, Shukla will lead a series of advanced experiments focused on food and nutrition in space. The experiments, part of a collaboration between ISRO, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), and NASA, aim to deepen understanding of space nutrition and contribute to the development of sustainable life support systems for long-duration space missions.
Specifically, the research will examine how microgravity and space radiation affect the growth and nutritional profile of edible microalgae—seen as a promising food source for future missions. Scientists will analyze key biological changes, including transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic variations, by comparing space-grown algae to Earth-based samples.
As ISRO and SpaceX work to resolve the technical issue, a new launch date for this landmark mission is expected to be announced in the coming days. (Source: IANS)
