As NASA and its partners conduct technical assessments, the launch of Axiom trip 4 (Ax-4)—the fourth private astronaut trip to the ISS—has been delayed once more on Friday.
The launch date for the project, which is a joint venture between NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, will be revealed in the days ahead. It will no longer take place on Sunday, June 22.
For Axiom Mission 4, @NASA, @Axiom_Space, and @SpaceX are still examining launch prospects. In a statement on X, the International Space Station stated that NASA is canceling its planned launch for Sunday, June 22, and will work to find a new date in the days ahead.
The most recent delay comes after ongoing evaluations of recent repairs to the ISS’s aft part of the Russian Zvezda service module.
Prior to this most recent delay, the mission was originally planned to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 29. However, it has since been delayed many times, first to June 8, then to June 10, June 11, and most recently, June 19.
The Ax-4 mission, which combines private-sector innovation with international collaboration, is another significant milestone in the expanding area of commercial spaceflight.
From Launch Complex 39A, the Ax-4 crew will take off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. With a varied, worldwide crew under the direction of mission commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and current Director of Human Spaceflight for Axiom Space, this mission is regarded as a major step in the commercialization of human spaceflight.
Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, Tibor Kapu from Hungary, and Shubhanshu Shukla from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), who are both pilots, are flying with Whitson as mission specialists for the European Space Agency (ESA).
The crew will conduct a number of scientific experiments throughout the voyage. Notably, Shukla will be in charge of food and space nutrition research, which is being developed in collaboration with NASA, ISRO, and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). One of the main goals of these investigations is to develop sustainable life-support systems, which is important for long-duration space travel.
Read More
Trump abandons assertions that he “stopped” the conflict between India and Pakistan
Following the conclusion of his successful three-nation tour, PM Modi leaves for New Delhi