Shubhanshu Shukla’s Ax-04 mission: Liquid oxygen leak resolved; June 19 new launch date

Captain Shubhanshu Shukla together with his group.

BENGALURU: The Axiom-4 mission (Ax-4), which is able to take Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to house, is now anticipated to launch on June 19, Isro mentioned early Saturday.“Axiom Space informed that they were working closely with Nasa to assess the pressure anomaly in the Zvezda Service Module onboard the International Space Station (ISS). Axiom Space is now targeting June 19, 2025 for the launch of the Ax-04 mission,” Isro mentioned.Axiom Space or Nasa are but to make a proper announcement in regards to the new launch date. The launch, initially scheduled for May 29, was deferred to June 8 following the detection of a problem within the electrical harness of the Crew Dragon module, Isro had mentioned earlier.It was then postponed by a day to June 9 — which was not publicly introduced — after which rescheduled to June 10. (*19*)This postponment, as per Isro was resulting from a delay in “preparedness of the Falcon-9 vehicle for the launch”.The June 10 launch was rescheduled as soon as once more, this time resulting from unfavourable climate circumstances alongside the rocket’s ascent hall.During preparations for a sizzling hearth check on June 8, SpaceX engineers detected an liquid oxygen (LOX) leak in Falcon-9. An anomaly was additionally present in one of many engine actuators, which was subsequently changed together with its controller.Also learn: From earth to orbit: How Axiom-4 will attain the house stationExpecting a fast decision of the LOX leak, the mission was initially rescheduled for June 11. At this juncture SpaceX and Axiom-4 mission companions determined to postpone the launch additional to conduct a check to validate the corrections carried out.Isro has reiterated that it has been very specific about crew security and that it had sought that every one points be “completely resolved” earlier than going forward with the launch.Even as SpaceX mounted these points by June 12, Axiom Space and Nasa introduced an additional delay citing a leak detected within the Zvezda Service Module of the ISS.