Is the Axion 04 Mission Delayed Again Due to Propulsion Bay Leak?

New Delhi, June 11 (NationPress) The eagerly awaited Axion 04 mission, initially planned for launch on Wednesday after multiple postponements, faces another delay due to a leak found in the propulsion bay during a pre-launch examination, as confirmed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

This mission, managed by the US-based Axiom Space, was intended to transport Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla along with three international crew members to the International Space Station (ISS) onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The launch was scheduled to occur from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 11 at 8 a.m. (5.30 p.m. IST). It has already been rescheduled several times -- moving from the original date of May 29 to June 8, then to June 10, and finally June 11.

On X (formerly Twitter), ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan shared, "The Axiom 04 mission set for launch on June 11, 2025, aimed at sending the first Indian Gaganyatri to the ISS, has been postponed. During a seven-second hot test on the launch pad for the Falcon 9's booster stage, a leak of LOX was discovered in the propulsion bay."

He added, "After discussions with Axiom and SpaceX experts, it was decided to repair the leak and conduct necessary validation tests before proceeding with the launch. Hence, the Axiom 04 mission is postponed."

SpaceX also acknowledged this update, stating on X, "We are standing down from the Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the ISS, originally scheduled for June 11, to allow additional time for our teams to fix the LOx leak identified during post-static fire booster inspections. A new launch date will be shared once the repairs are completed and pending range availability."

This mission holds significant importance for India, as Shukhanshu Shukla is poised to become the first Indian to visit the ISS and the second Indian to venture into space, following Rakesh Sharma's landmark flight aboard the Soviet space station Salyut 7 in 1984.

Shukla will serve as the pilot of 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, who will act as mission specialists.

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

The research aims to enhance our understanding of space nutrition and develop self-sustaining life support systems essential for long-duration missions.

It will investigate the effects of microgravity and space radiation on edible microalgae, a nutrient-dense food source for future space expeditions, assessing crucial growth metrics and analyzing transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic changes in various algal species in microgravity versus their behavior on Earth.