Axiom Mission 4 Postponed Again

The mission of Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) has been delayed again, and this time it’s because of a problem with the ISS.

NASA announced that it,collaboration with Axiom Space, is delaying the launch of Axiom Mission 4 to the ISS.

As part of an ongoing investigation, NASA is collaborating with Russia’s space agency Roscosmos to get to the bottom of a new pressure signature that emerged after the recent repairs in the back segment of the ISS’s Zvezda service module.

NASA stated, “Cosmonauts on the space station recently checked out the interior surfaces of the pressurized module, sealed off some extra areas of interest, and assessed the current leak rate. After this work, the segment is now maintaining pressure”.

The delay of Axiom Mission 4 gives NASA and Roscosmos more time to assess the situation and figure out if any further troubleshooting is needed.

NASA has left it to Roscosmos to handle specific inquiries regarding the Zvezda module. A new launch date for the fourth private astronaut mission is still to be determined.

The Axion-4 mission crew was set to launch on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft using Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan mentioned that they are collaborating closely with other agencies involved in the mission as they responsibly tackle the ISS Zvezda module observation that is causing the Ax-4 delay. “Safety and mission integrity are our highest priorities”, Dr. Narayanan stated.

The Launch Timeline

The launch that was set for May 29 got pushed back because of issues found in the electrical harness of the Crew Dragon Module, and it was rescheduled for June 8.
The launch was delayed by an additional day to June 9 because the Falcon 9 vehicle wasn’t ready in time for the launch.
The launch was postponed again to June 10 due to bad weather conditions in the ascent corridor.
During the prep for the hot fire test on June 8, we noticed some oxygen leaking in the engine bay. Also, we found an issue with one of the engine actuators, which we replaced along with the controller.
We’re hoping to sort out the LOX leak quickly, so the launch has been pushed to June 11.
On June 10, Axiom and SpaceX discussed technical issues with the ISRO delegation, and ISRO suggested doing in-situ repairs or replacements, plus a low-temperature leak test to check the system’s performance and integrity before giving the go-ahead for launch.
On June 11, NASA let us know they’re collaborating with Roscosmos to look into a new pressure signature that suggests a leak in the aft segment of the ISS Zvezda Russian service module, following a recent repair. To evaluate the situation and see if more troubleshooting is needed, the Axiom-4 mission launch is being delayed.

The Launch Timeline

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