The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has officially confirmed June 22, 2025, as the most likely launch date for the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission will be launched in partnership with Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX, and will carry four astronauts, including India’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, aboard the Falcon-9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson will lead the crew as mission commander, alongside Hungary’s Tibor Kapu and Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski as mission specialists.

Originally scheduled for May 29, the mission faced repeated delays due to a combination of technical faults and unfavorable weather conditions. Engineers detected issues such as a faulty electrical harness in the Crew Dragon module, a liquid oxygen leak, and an actuator anomaly in the Falcon-9 boosters. Additionally, concerns over pressure irregularities in the ISS’s Russian Zvezda module led to further postponements. Safety assessments and international consultations followed, involving ISRO, NASA, Axiom Space, and Roscosmos. The mission was previously pushed to June 8, 9, 10, and 11 before being rescheduled to June 22 after successful repair tests.

With all four astronauts currently in quarantine to maintain health safety protocols, Axiom Space has assured that the crew is in good health and prepared for the journey. The 14-day mission is expected to support scientific experiments and commercial objectives aboard the ISS. For India, the inclusion of Gaganyatri pilot Shubhanshu Shukla marks a significant step in its human spaceflight ambitions. If launched on schedule, Axiom-4 will highlight global cooperation in space exploration and demonstrate the readiness of commercial missions for long-duration space travel.