Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 Mission launch postponed due to rocket 'repair'

As per an X post, the mission was postponed on Wednesday to repair the Falcon 9 rocket.

"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 identified during post static fire booster inspections," the X post said.

Axiom Space did not specify the next day of the launch.

"Once complete – and pending Range availability – we will share a new launch date," Axiom Space said.

As part of a collaboration between NASA and ISRO, Axiom Mission 4 delivers on a commitment highlighted by US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the International Space Station.

The space agencies are participating in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics demonstrations.

The mission, also referred to as Mission Akash Ganga, will orbit the International Space Laboratory. It will spend 14 days in space.

This is the fifth time the mission has been deferred.

The last time it was deferred was from June 8 to June 10, due to adverse weather conditions.

The historic flight for an Indian astronaut will take place from the Launch Complex 39 A at the Kennedy Space Center, from which Astronaut Neil Armstrong lifted off on the Apollo 11 mission on July 16, 1969, and became the first human to step on the moon.