The highly anticipated Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station (ISS), which includes Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla as part of its four-member crew, has been temporarily postponed. The delay was announced after SpaceX, the launch provider, detected a technical issue with its Falcon 9 rocket.
Early Wednesday morning, SpaceX confirmed the postponement, citing the discovery of a liquid oxygen (LOx) leak during routine post-static fire inspections of the rocket booster. The static fire test is a critical pre-launch procedure that helps verify the rocket’s readiness.
Announcing the delay on X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX stated, “Standing down from tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections.”
SpaceX also assured that a new launch date would be announced once the leak is fixed and range availability is confirmed.
The Ax-4 mission, operated by Axiom Space, is particularly significant as it marks the first fully commercial human spaceflight to the ISS with Indian participation. Shubhanshu Shukla’s inclusion in the crew is a moment of pride for India and a milestone in the country’s growing involvement in global space exploration.
More details are expected in the coming days as SpaceX works on resolving the technical issue.
