 "Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first Indian aboard the International Space Station.")
The much-anticipated Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, which will take Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station, has been delayed, SpaceX said in a post on X. The launch was postponed after a liquid oxygen leak was detected during checks on the rocket.
“Standing down from tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak,” SpaceX said in a post on X.
 "2 delays in 2 days: What’s happening with Shubhanshu Shukla’s Axiom-4 mission?")
 "Bad weather delays Shubhanshu Shukla’s space travel, Axiom-4 launch now at 5.30 pm IST tomorrow")
SpaceX said a new launch date will be announced after repairs are done and depending on range availability. Earlier, the company had said weather conditions were 85 per cent favorable but teams were keeping an eye on high winds along the rocket’s path.
“As part of launch vehicle preparation to validate the performance of the booster stage of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle, seven second of hot test was carried out on the launch pad. It is understood that LOX leakage was detected in the propulsion bay during the test,” ISRO said.
This is the fourth delay for the Axiom-4 mission. A few days ago, it was postponed due to bad weather, with strong winds and a 45 per cent chance of rain at the launch site.
Once launched, the Ax-4 crew will spend up to 14 days on the International Space Station, carrying out scientific experiments in microgravity, life sciences, and material sciences, in partnership with researchers from over 30 countries.