ISRO working with NASA and SpaceX to address snag in Axiom 04 mission

Chennai: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday said it was working with Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX to address the ISS Zvezda module observation delaying the Axiom 04 mission sending Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station.

In a terse post, the agency said safety and mission integrity remain the top priorities.

“ISRO is working closely with Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX as they responsibly address the ISS Zvezda module observation causing the Ax‑4 delay. Safety and mission integrity remain our top priorities,” ISRO chairman Dr V Narayanan said.

The statement comes two days after the ambitious mission, which will take the second Indian astronaut to the ISS after Rakesh Sharma in 1984 as part of Soviet Interkosmos programme, was postponed for the third time in a week.

Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is a planned private spaceflight to the ISS carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, and Poland. The flight is operated by Axiom Space in partnership with SpaceX and NASA.

Narayanan had on June 11 acknowledged that a liquid oxygen system leakage was detected in the propulsion bay during the test following which the mission was postponed. The leakage was detected during a 7-second hot test carried out at the launch pad to validate the performance of the booster stage of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle.

The AX-4 crew and SpaceX teams had completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities, but last minute snag has delayed its launch once again. It was scheduled to be launched on June 8, postponed to June 10, and then to June 11.

Shulka, who was commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter wing in June 2006, became Group Captain in March 2024 with 2,000 hours of flight experience across aircraft.

ISRO, which has successfully unfurled the Indian flag on the moon, is planning to send a manned lunar mission.