The Axiom 4 mission was once again put off till further notice on Thursday after a problem was detected on the space station itself.
“Together with @Axiom_Space, we are postponing the launch of #Ax4 to the @Space_Station. A new launch date will be provided once available,” said NASA in a post on X.
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three other international crew members are slated to fly aboard this private space mission. The launch, originally planned for May 29, had already faced several reschedules—first to June 8, then June 10, and again to June 11—after SpaceX discovered a liquid oxygen leak in its Falcon 9 launch vehicle.
Russian Module Repairs Trigger Fresh Concerns
NASA revealed that the delay was prompted by the detection of a “new pressure signature” following repair work in the Zvezda service module, which has shown signs of cabin pressure leakage. The module, launched in 2000, has been the focus of ongoing inspections by Russian cosmonauts aboard the ISS.
“Cosmonauts recently performed inspections of the pressurised module’s interior surfaces, sealed some additional areas of interest, and measured the current leak rate,” the statement said. According to NASA’s latest update, the module is now holding pressure, but the agency is continuing its evaluation in coordination with Roscosmos.
A joint statement by Axiom Space and NASA emphasized that additional time is needed to fully assess the situation and determine whether further troubleshooting will be required. “A new launch date for the fourth private astronaut mission will be provided once available,” the statement noted.
Historic Mission for India, Poland, and Hungary
The Ax-4 mission marks a significant milestone in commercial spaceflight, particularly for India, Poland, and Hungary. Shubhanshu Shukla, representing the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will serve as the mission’s pilot. The crew will be led by former NASA astronaut and Axiom’s Director of Human Spaceflight, Peggy Whitson.
The other two mission specialists are Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, a European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
