The launch of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), has been delayed once again as NASA and its partners continue technical assessments. A new launch date is expected to be announced in the coming days.
Originally scheduled for May 29 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the mission has faced multiple postponements—first to June 8, then June 10, 11, and 19. The latest delay follows ongoing evaluations of repair work on the aft section of the Russian Zvezda service module aboard the ISS.
The mission is a collaborative effort involving NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX. The launch was most recently set for Sunday, June 22. “@NASA, @Axiom_Space, and @SpaceX continue reviewing launch opportunities for Axiom Mission 4… will target a new launch date in the coming days,” the International Space Station said in a post on X.
Ax-4 is seen as a key step in the ongoing commercialisation of human spaceflight, with a focus on international cooperation and private-sector innovation. The crew is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A.
The mission will be led by Peggy Whitson, a veteran NASA astronaut and the current Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space. The crew includes Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who will serve as pilot, and mission specialists Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary—both flying under the European Space Agency (ESA).
During their stay aboard the ISS, the crew will conduct various scientific experiments. Shukla will lead research in space food and nutrition, under a joint initiative of ISRO, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), and NASA. The project aims to contribute to sustainable life-support systems, a critical area for future long-duration space missions.
-IANS