The Axiom-4 mission, set to include Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, has been rescheduled to launch on June 19, 2025, according to recent announcements by ISRO. The revised date comes after assessments by Axiom Space concerning a pressure anomaly within the International Space Station’s (ISS) Zvezda Service Module. The mission is a joint venture between NASA, ISRO, Axiom Space, and SpaceX. Union Minister Jitendra Singh shared the updated launch date on his X handle, also indicating that SpaceX had addressed all previous issues that contributed to the earlier postponements. No official launch date announcement has been made by Axiom Space or NASA. The launch date was originally set for May 29, then shifted to June 8, June 9, and June 10. The previous postponements were due to delays in the Falcon-9 vehicle’s preparedness and adverse weather on June 10.
Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force Test Pilot and Astronaut, is originally from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Inspired by the Kargil War, Shukla attended City Montessori School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the National Defence Academy in 2005. He was commissioned into the Indian Air Force’s Fighter stream in June 2006 and has accumulated approximately 2,000 hours of flying experience as a combat leader and test pilot.