Hyderabad: 

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced a new launch date for the Axiom-4 mission, which was earlier scheduled to be launched on June 11, 2025, and then postponed indefinitely. The US-based Axiom Space mission is now set to take Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS), after being deferred multiple times.

Axiom-4 mission: Confirmed Launch Date:

In a statement, ISRO stated that in a follow-up meeting between Axiom Space, SpaceX, and the Indian space agency, it confirmed that the liquid oxygen leak observed in the Falcon 9 spacecraft has been resolved. The US-based space team, Axiom Space, plans to launch the Axiom-04 space mission on June 19, 2025. ISRO had earlier reassured its commitment to mission safety and coordination with international partners of the mission.

The latest delay was due to technical observations related to the Zvezda module of the ISS. A leak was detected in the propulsion bay during a pre-launch test. ISRO mentioned that Axiom Space was informed that they are working closely with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to analyse the pressure irregularities in the Zvezda Service Module available in the International Space Station.

Axiom-04 Mission: Crew Members:

Shukla will serve as the pilot for the mission alongside Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States. Other crew members of the Axiom-04 Mission include Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, who serve as mission specialists.

Axiom-04 Mission: What will they do?

Once the crew arrives on the ISS, Shukla will conduct experiments related to food and space nutrition. These space experiments are developed under a collaboration between ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA. These experiments aim to enhance the understanding of sustainable life-support systems, crucial for future long-duration space explorations.

The Axiom-04 space mission holds historic significance for India. After the successful launch of the Falcon 9 rocket, Shubhanshu Shukla would become the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS and only the second Indian astronaut to go into space after Rakesh Sharma in 1984.

The research will also study the effects of microgravity and space radiation on edible microalgae -- a nutrient-rich, high-potential food source for future space missions. It will evaluate key growth parameters and examine transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic changes in different algal species in space compared to their behaviour on Earth.

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