The launch of the Axiom-4 commercial mission to the International Space Station (ISS), which includes Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla among its crew, has been postponed indefinitely, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Saturday.
The mission, operated by Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, was initially scheduled for liftoff on May 29 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. However, the launch has faced multiple delays, first to June 8, then to June 10, and later to June 11, due to technical issues with SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket, including a liquid oxygen leak.
ISRO had earlier stated that the launch would take place on June 19, but unforeseen complications, including a recent leak detected in the Russian segment of the ISS, have now pushed the mission back indefinitely.
The four-member crew will be led by former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight, Peggy Whitson. ISRO's Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the mission pilot.
The two mission specialists are Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, a project astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA) from Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
The 14-day mission is intended to mark a significant milestone in commercial spaceflight, representing a return to human space travel for India, Poland, and Hungary.