Axiom 04 mission to send Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to ISS postponed again. Here’s why

The much-anticipated launch of the Axiom 04 (Ax-4) mission, which was set to send Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS), has been postponed once again. The mission, originally scheduled for June 10, 2025, and later rescheduled to June 11 at 5:30 PM IST, now faces an indefinite delay with no new date announced.

In a statement posted on X, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) explained the reason behind the postponement. “As part of launch vehicle preparation to validate the performance of the booster stage of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle, a seven-second hot test was carried out on the launch pad. A LOX (liquid oxygen) leakage was detected in the propulsion bay during the test,” ISRO said.



SpaceX, whose Falcon-9 rocket is being used for the mission, also took to X to explain the reason. The Elon Musk's SpaceX announced that it was "standing down" from the Falcon-9 launch of the Axiom-4 mission to allow repairs of the liquid oxygen leak identified during the post-static booster inspections.

"Standing down from tomorrow's Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections," SpaceX said in a post on X.

"Once complete – and pending Range availability – we will share a new launch date," SpaceX said.

Following discussions with experts from Axiom Space and SpaceX, the teams decided to correct the leak and conduct additional validation tests before clearing the mission for launch.

Meanwhile, Union Minister for Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh on Wednesday informed that the launch of Axiom-4, carrying Indian astronaut Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS), has been postponed due to a technical issue.

According to Singh, a liquid oxygen (LOX) leak was detected during a 7-second hot test of the Falcon 9 booster, prompting a joint review by ISRO, Axiom, and SpaceX teams.

In a post on X, Singh stated, "Mission Update | Axiom-04 The launch of Axiom Mission 4, carrying India's astronaut Shukla to the ISS, is postponed. A liquid oxygen (LOX) leak was detected during a 7-second hot test of Falcon 9's booster. After a joint review by ISRO, Axiom & SpaceX teams, it was decided to rectify the issue & revalidate before liftoff. Safety. Precision. Commitment to excellence."

Singh emphasised the importance of safety, precision, and commitment to excellence in the mission and stated that further updates on the mission will be shared accordingly.

All about Ax-4 mission

The Ax-4 mission is a landmark in India’s space exploration history, as it will make Shubhanshu Shukla the first Indian astronaut to travel to space in over 40 years—since Rakesh Sharma's historic 1984 mission aboard a Soviet spacecraft.

Shukla will be joined on this 14-day mission by Tigor Kapu of Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland. All three represent a new chapter in human spaceflight for their respective countries, made possible through Axiom Space’s government-supported commercial spaceflight initiative.

The Indian government has allocated ₹550 crore for participation in the Ax-4 mission, underscoring the strategic importance of the collaboration.

While on board the ISS, Shukla will carry out a series of India-specific scientific experiments developed by ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA. These include research on growing fenugreek and green gram in microgravity, aimed at developing self-sustaining life-support systems for future deep-space missions. The seeds grown in space will be brought back to Earth for multi-generational studies.