Shubhanshu Shukla’s Spaceflight Delayed: Axiom-4 Launch Rescheduled

The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, which includes Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla among its four-member crew, has been postponed to June 11, 2025, due to unfavorable weather conditions, according to an announcement from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday evening.

Originally slated for launch on June 10, the mission is now rescheduled to lift off on June 11 at 5:30 PM IST, pending weather clearance. The update was confirmed by Dr. V. Narayanan, Chairman of ISRO, Secretary of the Department of Space, and Chairman of the Space Commission, through ISRO's official account on X (formerly Twitter). The post stated, "Due to weather conditions, the launch of Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to the International Space Station is postponed from 10th June 2025 to 11th June 2025."

India Returns to Space

The Ax-4 mission represents a historic moment for India, as Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become the first Indian to travel to space since Rakesh Sharma's 1984 mission aboard a Soviet spacecraft. Shukla's journey marks India's return to human spaceflight after more than four decades.

The mission is also notable for the inclusion of astronauts Tigor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, highlighting a collaborative effort under Axiom Space's government-backed commercial spaceflight program. The 14-day expedition will take the multinational crew to the International Space Station (ISS).

In preparation for launch, the Ax-4 crew and SpaceX teams completed a full-scale launch day rehearsal on Sunday.

Strategic Investment and Scientific Goals

The Central government has sanctioned a budget of ₹550 crore to support India's participation in the Ax-4 mission, reflecting the strategic significance of this international space collaboration.

While aboard the ISS, Shukla will lead several India-specific scientific experiments focused on space nutrition and food sustainability. These experiments, jointly developed by ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) with support from NASA, aim to understand life-support systems for extended space missions. One of the key objectives includes the sprouting of fenugreek and green gram seeds in microgravity, which will then be returned to Earth for multi-generational agricultural research.