Meet the international crew of Axiom-4: astronauts Peggy Whitson (USA), Shubanshu Shukla (India), Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) selected for the upcoming space mission.

Axiom-4, a historic space mission involving three nations and carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla along with three others, was scheduled for launch on Wednesday evening, June 11, at 5:30 PM IST.

However, the mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has been postponed, as engineers identified a leak in the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket and requested additional time for repairs. The delay was announced on Tuesday morning.

SpaceX has postponed the Falcon 9 launch of the Axiom-4 mission to address a liquid oxygen leak discovered during post-static fire inspections of the booster.

Falcon 9 Launch of Ax-4 Mission to ISS Postponed Due to Technical Issue

SpaceX has postponed the upcoming Falcon 9 launch of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station, originally scheduled for tomorrow. The delay comes after a liquid oxygen (LOx) leak was discovered during post-static fire inspections of the booster.

“Standing down from tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak,” the company announced on X (formerly Twitter). “Once complete – and pending Range availability – we will share a new launch date.”

The Ax-4 mission includes astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary—marking the first time these countries will have representatives aboard the ISS. Notably, this mission is also India’s second government-sponsored human spaceflight in more than 40 years.

One more astronaut from the United States is also part of the mission, joining the international crew.

Originally scheduled for launch on Tuesday, the mission was postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions, as announced by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

“Due to weather conditions, the launch of the Axiom-4 mission, which will send the Indian Gaganyatri to the International Space Station, has been postponed from June 10 to June 11, 2025. The new targeted launch time is 5:30 PM IST on June 11, 2025,” ISRO posted on X.

Axiom-4 marks the second commercial spaceflight mission composed of astronauts sponsored by national space agencies, including those from governments and the European Space Agency.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a pilot with the Indian Air Force, is poised to make history as the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS).

His mission marks a monumental moment for India, coming 41 years after Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian in space aboard the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in 1984.

Meanwhile, Peggy Whitson, the United States’ most experienced astronaut, has already set several records in space exploration. She commanded the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2)—the second all-private astronaut mission to the ISS. Over her career with NASA, Whitson has completed three long-duration spaceflights, spending a total of 675 days in space—more than any other American astronaut and any woman in the world. She also holds the distinction of being the first female commander of the ISS and the only woman to have commanded it twice.

Poland’s Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a scientist and engineer, has played a pivotal role in science and space exploration. At CERN in Geneva, he served as a reliability expert and project leader, contributing significantly to advanced research efforts.

Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer, was one of four selected from 247 applicants for Hungary’s HUNOR Astronaut Program in 2023, marking a major step forward for the nation’s space ambitions.

The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) holds special significance for India, Poland, and Hungary, as it marks each country’s return to human spaceflight after more than 40 years. According to Axiom Space, Ax-4 will be the second human spaceflight in history for each nation but the first time their astronauts will visit the International Space Station (ISS)—a landmark moment in their national space programs.

The Ax-4 crew, including Shukla, is set to launch to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. A new launch date has yet to be confirmed.

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