
The launch of Axiom-4 mission carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others to the International Space Station has been postponed to June 11 due to bad weather conditions.
"Due to weather conditions, the launch of Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to International Space Station is postponed from 10th June 2025 to 11th June 2025. The targeted time of launch is 5:30 PM IST on 11th June 2025," the ISRO said in a post on X on Monday evening.
SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket was scheduled to blast off from the Kennedy Space Centre (KSC) in Florida on Tuesday evening.
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said that the launch of Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to International Space Station is postponed from 10th June 2025 to 11th June 2025 due to weather conditions.
The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission comprises Commander Peggy Whitson, pilot Shukla and specialists Tigor Kapu of Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland.
The 14-day mission will realise the return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary.
All About Shubhanshu Shukla
Shubhanshu Shukla's travel to space marks India's return to human spaceflight 41 years after Rakesh Sharma scripted history by undertaking a journey to space onboard Soviet Russia's Soyuz spacecraft in 1984.
The Lucknow-born Shukla, who goes by the call sign ‘Shuks’, is part of an ISRO-NASA supported commercial spaceflight by Axiom Space where all the customers are national governments.
In Lucknow, Shukla's City Montessori School (CMS) has planned a public watch party to celebrate his spaceflight. Several hoardings have come up across the city congratulating ‘Shuks’ for his spaceflight.
CMS has set up giant screens to relay the SpaceX launch live with NASA/Axiom commentary. We are eagerly looking forward to the launch. Shux is incredibly focused yet brimming with joy', Suchi Mishra, Shukla’s sister, said in Lucknow.
During the 14-day stay at the ISS, the Ax-4 crew is expected to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, school students, and space industry leaders among others.
Shukla is set to conduct exclusive food and nutrition-related experiments developed under a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA.
Shukla's experience on the Axiom Mission 4 would be very well utilised on the Gaganyaan mission which is planned for 2027. ISRO is spending Rs 550 crore on the Axiom-4 mission.
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