The launch of the Axiom-4 space mission, which is in the news for its historic participation by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has been postponed by a day due to adverse weather conditions.
ISRO has given this information through its official X handle. “Due to weather conditions, the launch of the Axiom-4 mission will be on June 11 instead of June 10. The new launch time will be 5:30 PM IST,” said ISRO chief Dr. V. Narayanan.
The mission will involve Indian Air Force pilot Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla, who will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) for a 14-day mission alongside three other astronauts. Axiom-4 is considered a significant achievement for India, as it will be the first time that an Indian astronaut will go to the ISS through a private mission.
The mission will be carried out by SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft from the LC-39A launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in the United States. Astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary are participating in the launch for their first ISS mission from each country.
The mission will be led by veteran American astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has been in space three times before. Sławoj Użnanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, both scientists and engineers, will serve as mission specialists.
A total of 60 scientific experiments will be conducted under the Axiom-4 mission, seven of which have been designed by ISRO. Shukla is a NASA Human Research Program, and they will be participating in five experiments and five more collaborative research projects.
The mission is considered a significant step for Shubanshu Shukla, one of the four Indian astronauts selected for the Gaganyaan mission. Gaganyaan is India's first human space mission and will be completed soon.
Axiom-4 will further strengthen India's growing participation in the space sector and its global presence. Now, all eyes are on the historic launch on June 11.
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