The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, which was due to carry Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday evening, has been postponed for a fourth time due to the detection of a leak and the need for a validation test. SpaceX said it was standing down from the Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to allow additional time to repair the leak identified. (NASA)

The mission of Texas-based Axiom Space, SpaceX, and NASA will carry a four-member crew from India, Hungary, Poland, and the US for a two-week mission. It will be the first human space flight carrying an Indian, a Hungarian, and a Pole after over 40 years.

The mission, also comprising commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański and Tibor Kapu, was initially scheduled to take place on May 29. It was postponed to June 8 and then rescheduled again. The mission’s lift off on June 10 was pushed by a day due to weather conditions, specifically high winds in the ascent corridor.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman V Narayanan said it is understood that a leakage was detected in the propulsion bay during a seven-second hot test on the launch pad as part of launch vehicle preparation to validate the performance of the booster stage of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle. In a post on X, he cited a discussion of an ISRO team with the experts of Axiom and SpaceX. He said it was decided to correct the leak and carry out the necessary validation test before clearing for the launch. “Hence, the launch of Axiom 04, slated for 11th June 2025 for sending the first Indian Gaganyatri to the ISS is postponed.”

SpaceX said it was standing down from the Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to allow additional time to repair the leak identified during post-static fire booster inspections. “Once complete – and pending Range availability – we will share a new launch date.”

A NASA statement said a new launch date for the fourth private astronaut mission will be provided once repair work is complete, pending range availability.

At a virtual press conference on May 20, Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX, said, “We added a week after some findings. For instance, the parachutes did not pass the impact test since there was moisture in the bag. So we had to replace the bags. Similarly, we had to replace a wire harness.”