• Source:JND
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India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's much-awaited Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) has been postponed to Sunday, June 22, following a delay due to several technical and operational problems, such as a liquid oxygen leak within SpaceX's Falcon-9 booster and continued repair assessments on the International Space Station's (ISS) Zvezda module. The mission is a historic return to space for India, Poland, and Hungary, each launching their first astronauts to the ISS. For India, it will be the first human spaceflight partnership with NASA since Rakesh Sharma's historic 1984 mission on Soyuz T-11.

The Ax-4 crew consists of Commander Peggy Whitson (retired NASA astronaut), Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Mission Specialist Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu. All four space travelers continue in strict quarantine in Florida, adhering to normal medical procedures to be mission-ready and safe. Axiom Space confirmed in an X (formerly Twitter) post, "The #Ax4 crew is still in quarantine in Florida to keep all medical and safety procedures intact. The crew is healthy and in high spirits and is looking forward to launch!" it stated.

ISRO's Rs 550 Crore Stake Riding on It

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), having invested more than 550 crore rupees in this commercial spaceflight collaboration with Axiom and SpaceX, reaffirmed that "safety and mission integrity remain top priorities" as the agencies continue to iron out last-minute problems. ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan is already in Florida, at the head of India's mission control team. The rescheduling comes as agencies race against time. The Ax-4 mission was originally planned for June 11, but was delayed as a result of a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon-9 booster. The anomaly was identified while conducting a seven-second hotfire test and was traced back to the propulsion bay before it was quickly sorted after clearing between ISRO, Axiom Space, and SpaceX. Second to give concern was the cause of the Zvezda service module on the ISS. A leak during pressurisation was noticed and stopped up by cosmonauts, but NASA and Roscosmos still examine if more repair missions are needed, important for secure docking and operations for Ax-4.

The ISS has a tightly structured schedule, with limited docking ports and a narrow orbital alignment window that has to coincide with the Falcon-9 rocket's launch azimuth. Any additional delay could impact subsequent cargo and crew missions.

Adding to the urgency:
• The four astronauts have spent almost three weeks in extended quarantine, possibly affecting physical readiness.
• More than 60 science experiments, of which seven are from ISRO, are time-critical and could experience declining success rates with each passing day.
•Weather over the Florida coastline and trajectory of ascent continue to be closely monitored, with a clearance from NASA's official meteorologists yet to be given.

ALSO READ: ‘Shuks’ Set For Historic ISS Launch On June 10: How Subhanshu Shukla Trained With NASA, ESA & JAXA For His Space Mission

Mission Significance Beyond Borders

The Ax-4 mission not only advances India's space diplomacy but also enhances cooperation between global partners, particularly upcoming space nations like Poland and Hungary. Axiom Space defines the mission as a "return to human spaceflight after four decades" for these countries. The mission, if successful, will run for 14 days, in which time the astronauts will perform cutting-edge research in life sciences, microgravity experiments, material sciences, and robotics.

ALSO READ: What Five Experiments Will Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Conduct In His 14-Day Space Mission?

With only days remaining for the new launch window, everyone is waiting for Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket with the Dragon capsule is ready, subject to the last NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom Space clearances. The next few days will be decisive, with meteorologists monitoring launch-day weather, engineers completing safety tests, and scientists cross-verifying payload readiness. For India and the world, the Ax-4 mission is not a mere technical exercise, it's a quantum leap of hope, ambition, and collaboration across borders.