Axiom mission delayed again: Shubhanshu Shukla's space travel postponed

NEW DELHI: The journey of Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station has been postponed once again. Although the launch was last scheduled for June 22 at 1:12 PM, that too has now been deferred. There are indications that the Axiom mission might now take place on June 25.

This is the seventh time the mission has been rescheduled. The latest postponement is due to incomplete work related to fixing an air leak in the 'Zvezda' vestibule, which is part of the Russian service module of the International Space Station. India has spent Rs 550 crore on Shubhanshu's mission. The stay at the space station is planned to last two weeks.

The mission commander is experienced astronaut Peggy Whitson. Two other astronauts, Slawosz Uznanski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, are also part of the crew. Shubhanshu carries a checklist to evaluate Gaganyaan's preparations for space. Equipment and materials for various space experiments are also included in the journey.