Axiom-4 Mission Carrying Shubhanshu Shukla Put Off As SpaceX Detects Leak In Falcon-9 Rocket

Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station, carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others, has been put off for the time being as engineers sought more time to repair a leak in the SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket.

SpaceX announced that it was "standing down" from the Falcon-9 launch of the Axiom-4 mission to allow repairs of the liquid oxygen leak identified during the post-static booster inspections.

"Standing down from tomorrow's Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections," SpaceX said in a post on X. "Once complete – and pending Range availability – we will share a new launch date," SpaceX said.

The Axiom-4 mission, which marks the return to spaceflight for India, Poland and Hungary, was earlier scheduled to lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and comprises Commander Peggy Whitson, pilot Shukla and specialists Tigor Kapu of Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland.

Shukla's travel to space marks India's return to human spaceflight 41 years after Rakesh Sharma scripted history by undertaking a journey to space onboard Soviet Russia's Soyuz spacecraft in 1984.

The 14-day mission will "realise the return" to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary.

The Ax-4 crew and SpaceX teams completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities on Sunday ahead of liftoff.

During the 14-day stay at the ISS, the Ax-4 crew is expected to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, school students, and space industry leaders among others.

Shukla is set to conduct exclusive food and nutrition-related experiments developed under a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA.

The experiments aim to pioneer space nutrition and self-sustaining life support systems vital for future long-duration space travel.

ISRO has lined up a set of seven experiments for Shukla, who will also participate in five joint studies planned by NASA for its human research program.

It has drawn up plans to focus on India-centric food for carrying out experiments on the ISS, including sprouting methi (Fenugreek) and moong (green gram) in microgravity conditions.

Shukla will also expose the seeds to the macrobiotic conditions and bring them back to earth where they will be cultivated into plants not just once but over generations.

Shukla's experience on the Axiom Mission 4 would be very well utilised on the ISRO's Gaganyaan space flight mission which is planned for 2027. ISRO is spending Rs 550 crore on the Axiom-4 mission.