After multiple delays, Axiom-4 mission to launch on 25 June

NASA has confirmed that Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s historic spaceflight aboard the Axiom-4 mission is now targeting lift-off on Wednesday, 25 June. The mission is scheduled to launch at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12:01 p.m. IST) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Axiom-4 mission marks a return to space for India, Hungary, and Poland, with Shukla serving as mission pilot. Veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the mission, joined by Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu and Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski as mission specialists.

The crew will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket. NASA said docking with the ISS is targeted for approximately 7 a.m. EDT (4:30 p.m. IST) on Thursday, 26 June.

Originally planned for 29 May, the launch faced several delays. It was first postponed to early June after a liquid oxygen leak was detected in the Falcon 9 rocket boosters. Additional concerns emerged when leaks were found in a Russian module aboard the ISS, prompting NASA to delay the launch further to evaluate ongoing operations and repairs.

Following multiple reschedulings – including proposed launch windows on 8, 10, 11, 19, and 22 June – the mission now appears set to proceed, pending final technical clearances.

The Axiom-4 mission is the fourth private astronaut flight to the ISS, and a significant milestone for India's presence in human spaceflight beyond its national programmes.