Axiom-4 Launch Faces Sixth Delay, Now Set for June 22 Amid Ongoing Challenges
Axiom Space’s Axiom-4 human spaceflight mission originally planned for May 18 has been postponed for the sixth time now targeting “no earlier than June 22” the company announced. Unlike prior updates Axiom Space did not specify a launch time which has raised eyebrows since the company typically shares precise schedules. Previous launch dates included June 8 June 9 June 10 July 18 and July 19.
The latest delay is due to NASA’s ongoing assessment of space station operations following repairs to the Zvezda service module’s aft section on the International Space Station (ISS). Earlier postponements were caused by SpaceX Crew Dragon part replacements a Falcon Merlin engine issue a liquid oxygen leak unfavorable weather and a problem with the Russian Zvezda module.
“The Ax4 crew remains in quarantine in Florida maintaining all medical and safety protocols. They’re in good health and ready for launch” Axiom Space stated on social media post.
The Axiom-4 crew has been in quarantine known as a Health Stabilization Program since May 15 to prevent illness before entering the ISS’s controlled environment. Modern astronauts typically undergo a two-week quarantine but the Axiom-4 team’s extended isolation surpasses current standards nearing the three-week quarantines of NASA’s Apollo missions. Boeing Starliner astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore also faced prolonged quarantines when their mission shifted from May to June 2024. Sustaining peak physical and mental health for this duration is a significant challenge for the crew.
NASA’s ISS Program Manager Dana Weigel noted earlier this month that launch opportunities for Axiom-4 are available through June 30. Rocket launches depend on precise timing within a designated window calculated to the second based on technical parameters often leading to unusual launch hours. If Axiom Space and SpaceX miss the June window the next opportunity begins in mid-July Weigel added.
The Axiom-4 mission will send four astronauts to the ISS for a two-week stay to conduct 60 experiments. Traveling on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule the crew is led by Peggy Whitson Axiom Space’s director of human spaceflight and America’s most experienced astronaut. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) astronaut Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair will serve as pilot joined by mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland (European Space Agency) and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Except for Whitson all are first-time astronauts amplifying the emotional impact of delays on their families.
This mission marks a historic return to human spaceflight for India Poland and Hungary whose last government-sponsored spaceflights occurred over 40 years ago. Nair the first Indian to visit the ISS and the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 Soviet mission represents a $54 million (Rs. 450 crore) investment by the Indian government for his training and flight. His science technology engineering and math (STEM) experiments will be recorded for educational outreach.
Nair’s seven experiments some involving time-sensitive biological materials like seeds bacteria and muscle cells were planned for completion by June 22 if the launch had occurred on June 8. With the mission delayed over three weeks these materials need replacement or special care to remain viable. Concerns persist about how these delays might affect the quality of the scientific research planned for the ISS’s microgravity environment.