What Caused the Delay of India's Historic Axion 04 Mission to the ISS?

Axion 04 Mission Postponed Due to Technical Issues

New Delhi: The much-anticipated Axion 04 mission, initially scheduled for launch on Wednesday, has been delayed once more due to a leak found in the propulsion bay during a pre-launch test, as confirmed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

This mission, managed by Axiom Space based in the United States, was set to transport Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla along with three international crew members to the International Space Station (ISS) using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The launch was planned to occur at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 11 at 8 am (5:30 p.m. IST) but had already faced multiple postponements from its original date of May 29 to June 8, then June 10, and now June 11.

ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan announced on X (formerly Twitter), "The Axiom 04 mission, intended for launch on June 11, 2025, to send the first Indian Gaganyatri to the ISS, has been postponed. During a seven-second hot test on the launch pad, a leak of liquid oxygen was detected in the propulsion bay."

"Following discussions between the ISRO team and experts from Axiom and SpaceX, it has been decided to address the leak and conduct necessary validation tests before proceeding with the launch. Therefore, the launch of Axiom 04, scheduled for June 11, 2025, is postponed," he added.

SpaceX also acknowledged the situation, stating on X, "We are standing down from tomorrow's (June 11) Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the ISS to allow additional time for our teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post-static fire booster inspections. We will announce a new launch date once repairs are complete and pending Range availability."

This mission holds great significance for India, as Shubhanshu Shukla is poised to become the first Indian to visit the ISS and the second Indian in space, following Rakesh Sharma's historic flight aboard the Soviet space station Salyut 7 in 1984.

Shukla will act as the pilot for the Axion 04 mission, alongside Commander Peggy Whitson from the United States.

The crew also includes Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both serving as mission specialists.

Once aboard the ISS, Shukla is expected to conduct advanced experiments related to food and nutrition. This scientific endeavor is a collaboration between ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with additional support from NASA.

The experiments aim to enhance the understanding of space nutrition and contribute to the development of self-sustaining life support systems essential for extended space missions.

The research will investigate the effects of microgravity and space radiation on edible microalgae, a nutrient-dense food source with high potential for future space missions.

The study will assess key growth parameters and analyze transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic changes in various algal species in space compared to their behavior on Earth.