Bad weather pushes astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 launch date by a day, lift-off now set for June 11
Meet Shubhanshu Shukla, the IAF pilot set to become India’s first man in space in 41 years
Synopsis
ISRO announced the Axiom-4 mission, featuring Indian Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla, has been postponed to June 11, 2025, at 5:30 pm IST due to adverse weather. This mission marks India's return to human spaceflight after four decades, with Shukla following Rakesh Sharma.
By ET Online
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The launch of the highly anticipated Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station (ISS), which includes Indian Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla onboard, has been postponed by a day due to adverse weather conditions, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Monday.
Dr. V Narayanan, Chairman of ISRO, Secretary of the Department of Space, and Chairman of the Space Commission, confirmed the development via a post through ISRO's X account. “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," it read.
An Indian return to space
The Ax-4 mission marks a major milestone in India’s space journey as Shukla becomes the first Indian to travel to space in over four decades, following in the footsteps of Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard a Soviet spacecraft in 1984.
Also joining the mission are Tigor Kapu of Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland. The 14-day mission marks a return to human spaceflight for India, Hungary, and Poland under the aegis of Axiom Space's government-backed commercial spaceflight program.
Moreoever, the Central government has allocated Rs 550 crore for India’s participation in the Ax-4 mission, underlining the strategic importance of this international collaboration.
During his time aboard the ISS, Shukla will conduct a series of India-specific experiments focused on food and nutrition in space. Developed jointly by ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), and supported by NASA, these experiments aim to explore self-sustaining life-support systems crucial for future deep-space missions. Key projects include sprouting fenugreek and green gram in microgravity and returning the seeds to Earth for multi-generational cultivation studies.
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Originally scheduled for June 10, 2025, the mission is now set to lift off on June 11 at 5:30 pm IST, weather permitting.Dr. V Narayanan, Chairman of ISRO, Secretary of the Department of Space, and Chairman of the Space Commission, confirmed the development via a post through ISRO's X account. “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," it read.
An Indian return to space
The Ax-4 mission marks a major milestone in India’s space journey as Shukla becomes the first Indian to travel to space in over four decades, following in the footsteps of Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard a Soviet spacecraft in 1984.Also joining the mission are Tigor Kapu of Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland. The 14-day mission marks a return to human spaceflight for India, Hungary, and Poland under the aegis of Axiom Space's government-backed commercial spaceflight program.
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Ahead of the now-delayed lift-off, the Ax-4 crew and SpaceX teams conducted a full launch day rehearsal on Sunday.Moreoever, the Central government has allocated Rs 550 crore for India’s participation in the Ax-4 mission, underlining the strategic importance of this international collaboration.
During his time aboard the ISS, Shukla will conduct a series of India-specific experiments focused on food and nutrition in space. Developed jointly by ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), and supported by NASA, these experiments aim to explore self-sustaining life-support systems crucial for future deep-space missions. Key projects include sprouting fenugreek and green gram in microgravity and returning the seeds to Earth for multi-generational cultivation studies.
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( Originally published on Jun 09, 2025 )
