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The highly anticipated Axion 04 mission, which was set to launch on Wednesday after a series of earlier delays, has been postponed once again due to a leak detected in the propulsion bay during a pre-launch test, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Wednesday. The mission, operated by the US-based Axiom Space, was scheduled to carry Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla along with three international crew members to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The launch was to take place from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 11 at 8 a.m. (5.30 p.m. IST). It had previously been deferred multiple times — from its original launch date of May 29 to June 8, then June 10 and June 11. The Ax-4 crew includes members from India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation’s first mission to the space station in history and the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years, according to Axiom Space. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be India’s second national astronaut to go to space since 1984.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is part of Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut mission (Ax-4), marking a historic moment for India’s space collaboration with NASA. Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is not the first Indian to go to space. Prior to him, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma made history. In 1984, Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian in space, spending nearly 7 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes aboard the Soviet space station Salyut 7 as part of a joint Indo-Soviet mission. When asked by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi how India looked from space, he famously replied, “Saare Jahan Se Achha.” It was an incredibly proud moment in the history of Indian space.
Going by the media reports, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s seat on the Axiom-4 mission is costing India Rs 550 crore. But back in 1984, when Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to go to space, India didn’t spend any money on his trip, as per the media reports. His entire mission aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 spacecraft was paid for by the Soviet Union under its Interkosmos program, a generous gesture that showed the strong bond between the two countries.
Rakesh Sharma is currently living a serene and fulfilling life in Coonoor district, Tamil Nadu. While he remains away from the spotlight, he continues to contribute to India’s space journey as a member of the National Space Advisory Council for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission.
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