Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to Launch on Ax-4 Mission to ISS on June 19, Confirms ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has officially confirmed that the Axiom-4 (Ax-04) mission to the International Space Station (ISS), carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, will launch on June 19, 2025.

The mission will take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. This marks a significant step for India’s human spaceflight program, as Shukla prepares for his first journey into space.

Shubhanshu Shukla, a pilot in the Indian Air Force, will serve as the pilot on the Ax-04 mission. The crew also includes Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut who will command the mission, along with Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both serving as mission specialists.

Originally planned for May 29, the launch was delayed multiple times due to technical issues. The most recent postponement occurred due to a liquid oxygen leak detected in the Falcon 9 rocket. This issue has now been fully resolved, according to a joint statement following a coordination meeting between ISRO, Axiom Space, and SpaceX.

Separately, Axiom Space reported that it is closely working with NASA to monitor a pressure anomaly in the Russian Zvezda Service Module aboard the ISS. This issue is not related to the Ax-04 mission, but highlights the importance of international cooperation and safety in space missions.

Shubhanshu Shukla will be conducting seven scientific experiments developed in India, in addition to participating in joint research with NASA while onboard the ISS. The 14-day mission is part of Axiom Space’s larger goal of expanding commercial access to space and eventually building the first private space station.

Union Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh confirmed the updated launch date on social media and assured that all technical concerns have been addressed. 

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