Unfavorable weather at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida has forced the launch of the much-anticipated Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, which will transport Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and three other international astronauts to the ISS, to be rescheduled for June 11, 2025.
Originally planned for June 10, the mission will now aim for a lift-off at 5:30 PM IST on June 11, according to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
This is the third postponement for the Ax-4 mission, which was originally slated to launch on May 29 but was then moved to June 8 and then to June 10 mostly because of weather and technical preparations. High winds in the ascent corridor were identified by SpaceX, the company that builds the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, as the direct reason of the most recent delay.
The Ax-4 mission, which unites astronauts from the US, Poland, Hungary, and India, marks a turning point in international space cooperation. India will return to human spaceflight 41 years after Rakesh Sharma’s historic 1984 voyage when Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, acting as mission pilot, becomes the second Indian to journey to space and the first to undertake research aboard the ISS.
Additionally, the crew consists of Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu (Hungary/ESA), Commander Peggy Whitson (USA), and Sławosz Uznański (Poland/ESA).
Axiom Space, NASA, SpaceX, and ISRO are partners in the Ax-4 mission, also called Mission Akash Ganga. It is the first time in more than 40 years that India, Poland, and Hungary have all sponsored a human spaceflight, and it is the first time that astronauts from all three countries will fly on the ISS. During the mission’s 14-day stay on the ISS, an unparalleled portfolio of almost 60 scientific investigations and activities will be conducted, representing 31 countries and with a focus on biological sciences, Earth observation, and microgravity research.
ISRO has emphasized the mission’s strategic importance for promoting global collaboration in space research as well as for furthering India’s own Gaganyaan program. The significance of international collaborations in space exploration is highlighted by the ₹550 crore that the Indian government has set aside for its involvement in the Ax-4 mission.
Group Captain Shukla, who is presently under pre-launch quarantine, talked about his exhilaration and sense of duty, saying that he hopes his journey will pique young people’s interest and inspire a new generation in India. He highlighted the historic importance of their joint objective and the camaraderie among the worldwide team.
The successful launch of the Ax-4 mission will usher in a new era for India and its partners in the international space community, and it is evidence of the rising importance of government and private collaborations in increasing human presence in low-Earth orbit.