Shubhanshu Shukla’s ISS Mission: Axiom 4 Launch Date Confirmed After Multiple Delays

After several postponements, the Axiom Mission 4, featuring Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, has a confirmed launch date. The mission is set to launch on June 25, 2025, at 2:31 a.m. EDT, from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The launch will utilize a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and a new Dragon spacecraft. Docking with the International Space Station is targeted for June 26 at around 7 a.m. The mission duration is planned for up to 14 days. The initial launch date of June 11 was pushed back to June 19 and then June 22 because of issues discovered during pre-flight inspections. The crew comprises Peggy Whitson as mission commander, Shubhanshu Shukla as pilot, and mission specialists Slavoj Uznanski and Tibor Kapu. Axiom 4 is a commercial spaceflight mission with government and ESA-sponsored astronauts.