Axiom-4 Mission Rescheduled To Launch On June 22 — All You Need To Know

Following multiple delays, the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station is set to take off on June 22.

The crew, which includes Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, will launch aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, carried by a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

According to Axiom Space, the Ax-4 mission marks a historic return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary—each embarking on their first government-sponsored mission in over 40 years, and for the first time, doing so aboard the ISS.

This comes as the mission faced six delays due to weather and technical problems.

NASA and Axiom Space had earlier decided to delay the launch of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station as investigations continued into a recent pressure anomaly. It was initially meant to take place on May 29.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in coordination with Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, examined a new pressure pattern observed following repair work in the aft section of the ISS' Zvezda service module.

In response, cosmonauts on board conducted inspections of the module's interior, sealed additional areas and measured the leak rate.

Following the May 29 delay, the launch was scheduled for 8:22 a.m. EDT (5:52 p.m. IST) on Tuesday, June 10. A backup launch window was also available the following day, Wednesday, June 11, at 8 a.m. EDT (5:30 p.m. IST). However, the mission was delayed again.

Former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space’s director of human spaceflight, Peggy Whitson, is set to lead the mission as commander. Joining her as pilot is Shubhanshu Shukla, an astronaut from the Indian Space Research Organisation. The mission specialists include Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a project astronaut with the European Space Agency from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

The upcoming Ax-4 mission will see the crew engage in nearly 60 scientific experiments and research activities—the most ever undertaken on an Axiom mission so far. These efforts bring together contributions from 31 countries, including India, the United States, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE and several others across Europe.

This mission reflects the growing global interest in harnessing the unique environment of low-Earth orbit for cutting-edge research. India, the US, Poland (in collaboration with the European Space Agency) and Hungary are playing key roles, driving major scientific studies and helping broaden international collaboration in space science.

The range of experiments is diverse, covering topics such as human health, Earth observation, biology, life sciences and materials research.