Shubhanshu Shukla’s Axiom 4 launch delayed again; Nasa cites safety checks; new date expected soon

Nasa has postponed the planned launch of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission, which includes Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and crew members from Poland and Hungary, was rescheduled for Sunday, June 22. It will now take place on a later date yet to be announced.“Nasa has made the decision to stand down from a launch on Sunday, June 22, and will target a new launch date in the coming days,” Axiom Space said in a statement.Also said: ISS leaks ‘small’; ‘not uncommon’ to delay launch: NasaNasa in a statement said it needed more time to assess recent repair work done on the aft (rear) section of the ISS’s Zvezda service module. Since many systems aboard the space station are closely linked, engineers want to be sure it’s fully ready to support a new group of astronauts, it said. “Nasa is taking the time necessary to review data,” the agency said. “The goal is to ensure the station is ready to receive additional crew.” The international crew is currently in pre-flight quarantine in Florida and will stay mission-ready until the launch window is cleared. While Isro astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot, the mission will also include astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.The much-anticipated Axiom-4 mission has faced series of postponements caused by technical issues, weather conditions, and safety concerns.Also read: Meet the Indian designer embedding ‘India’s fingerprint in space’ with Axiom-4 mission badge for Shubhanshu Shukla Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force pilot from Lucknow, is set to become the second Indian to go to space after Rakesh Sharma’s historic 1984 mission. With over 2,000 flying hours on jets like the MiG-29 and Su-30 MKI, Shukla will serve as the mission pilot.