(GIST OF SCIENCE REPORTER) AXIOM-4 MISSION

(JULY-2025)

AXIOM-4 MISSION

Context:

Just days after anticipation built around Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s Axiom-4 mission, the launch was delayed once again following the discovery of a leak in SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket.

Key Details

The Axiom-4 mission was scheduled to carry Shubhanshu Shukla and three others to the International Space Station on Tuesday, June 10, but a leak in the aircraft has postponed the launch.
ISRO Chairman confirmed that a liquid oxygen leak was detected in the propulsion bay during a seven-second hot test conducted on the launch pad.
The new launch date of the Axiom-4 mission has not been declared yet but it could be some time until the
astronauts begin their launch to space. Once the leak is fixed, necessary validation tests would be conducted before the aircraft is cleared for the launch.

About the Axiom-4 mission

This marks NASA’s fourth fully private astronaut mission to the International Space Station.
The mission is a joint effort between Axiom Space (a private company), NASA, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and the European Space Agency (ESA).
During their 14-day stay on the International Space Station, the crew will carry out microgravity experiments, test new technologies, and participate in outreach activities.
The crew comprises individuals from the USA, India, Poland, and Hungary. Commander Peggy Whitson, pilot Shubhanshu Shukla and specialists Tigor Kapu of Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland were slated to embark on the Axiom-4 mission.
Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become the second Indian national to travel to space since 1984.
The last Indian in space was Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard the Soviet Union’s Soyuz spacecraft in 1984.