Shubhanshu Shukla To Take Off For Space on June 25, NASA Confirms Axiom-4 Launch Date
After multiple delays, the Axiom-4 mission, to be piloted by Indian Air Force's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is set to launch on June 25. Image courtesy: RNA
After several weeks of uncertainty and repeated postponements, Nasa on Tuesday (June 24) confirmed that the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) — featuring Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla — will lift off on June 25 from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. This will be India’s first astronaut in space under a private mission.
The mission had been delayed seven times since its original May 29 target, with technical malfunctions, weather disruptions, and issues aboard the International Space Station (ISS) all contributing to the holdup.
When and where will the Ax-4 mission launch?
According to a Nasa statement, the launch is now scheduled for 12:01 pm IST on Wednesday, June 25 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Ax-4 crew will ride aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket. If all goes as planned, docking with the ISS is expected around 4:30 p.m. IST on Thursday, June 26, following a roughly 28-hour flight.
What caused the multiple delays to the launch?
The mission’s initial launch date of May 29 was first shifted to June 8 after a problem was found in the Crew Dragon’s electrical harness. Further delays were triggered by rocket readiness concerns (June 9), poor weather (June 10), and oxygen leak detections during pre-launch checks (June 11–12).
The latest postponement came when leaks were detected aboard the ISS, pushing the launch out to June 22, which was also later scrubbed. The newly confirmed June 25 date follows an extended review by teams from Nasa, SpaceX, and Axiom Space.
Who is flying on the Ax-4 mission?
The mission commander is Peggy Whitson, a veteran NASA astronaut now serving as Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force, trained by ISRO, will serve as pilot on this commercial flight.
Two mission specialists will join them: Sawosz Uznaski-Winiewski from Poland, a project astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA), and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
According to Nasa, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft remain in good condition, stationed at the launchpad and ready for final countdown procedures.
If successful, Ax-4 will mark yet another milestone in commercial spaceflight and a significant leap in India’s human spaceflight participation through global collaborations.
