Countdown Begins: Shubhanshu Shukla to Launch Tomorrow on Historic Axiom-4 Mission, Confirms NASA

NASA has confirmed that the much-awaited Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, carrying Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is now scheduled to launch tomorrow, Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

The mission is expected to lift off at 2:31 AM EDT (12:01 PM IST) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Axiom-4 mission marks a significant milestone as it will carry a crew of international astronauts, including Shukla, to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. This will be the fourth private astronaut mission organized by Axiom Space in partnership with NASA and SpaceX.

The launch comes after several delays. Originally scheduled for May 29, the mission was postponed six times due to a range of issues, including poor weather, technical problems, and an oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 booster.

The most recent scheduled launch on June 22 was also delayed due to a fault in the ISS’s service module.

Now, after thorough evaluations and coordination between NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, the mission is set to proceed. If successful, the crew will dock with the ISS at around 7:00 AM EDT (4:30 PM IST) on Thursday, June 26.

"The mission will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 4:30 pm (India Time) Thursday, June 26," Nasa said in a statement.

The Ax-4 crew is led by mission commander Dr. Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and now director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space. Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the mission pilot, while Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary will join as mission specialists.

Meanwhile, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft remain in good condition at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.