After six delays, Axiom-4 mission carrying India's Shubhanshu Shukla cleared for launch; check date, time and other details

NASA is all set to launch the Axiom-4 mission, an astronaut group carrying India's Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station after six postponements. According to the latest update, Axiom Space, SpaceX, and NASA are now aiming for a launch as early as Wednesday, June 25.

In a statement issued by NASA, it stated, "NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are targeting 2:31 am EDT, Wednesday, June 25, for the launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4."

As per the statement, the Axiom mission, carrying Shubhanshu Shukla, could take off at 12:10 PM IST on Wednesday.

Axiom mission set to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre

The fourth Axiom mission is set to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket, the space agency added in the statement.

Credit: X | @Axiom4

The planned docking is set for around 7 a.m. on Thursday, June 26. NASA will release additional details and coverage information soon.

Axiom-4's mission has been postponed six times before this

After holding the mission at least 6 times, the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station is set to launch on June 25.

The first launch date for the mission was set for May 29. However, the launch was initially delayed to June 8 because of weather conditions. It was later rescheduled to June 10 and then June 11 due to a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 rocket's booster.

Following this, after further evaluation, the launch was scheduled for June 19 and then changed to June 22 due to another technical fault in the space station's service.

Now, finally, after six delays, SpaceX, Axiom Space, and NASA are now targeting a launch for tomorrow, June 25.

What is the Axiom-4 mission?

The Axiom-4 mission is a privately operated astronaut mission. The crew features Dr. Peggy Whitson from the United States as the mission commander, with Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary serving as mission specialists, and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla appointed as the pilot.