Indian Astronaut's International Space Station mission got postponed

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force, one of India's astronaut designates for the ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, will have to wait slightly longer for his journey to the International Space Station (ISS). His upcoming mission, Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), which would make him the first Indian to visit the orbiting laboratory, has been postponed.

Originally slated for launch on 29 May 2025, the Ax-4 mission is now targeting a lift-off no earlier than 8 June 2025. The delay was announced by Axiom Space, the private company organising the mission in collaboration with NASA. According to official statements, the postponement is primarily due to the need to review the busy ISS flight schedule and ensure operational readiness for several upcoming missions. A minor technical issue identified during routine pre-launch checks was also cited as a contributing factor. Importantly, officials have clarified that the delay is unrelated to recent geopolitical developments or the operational status of other Indian Air Force personnel.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is assigned as a mission pilot on Ax-4 and will join a crew of international astronauts. His participation in this private astronaut mission, flying aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, is considered a crucial step for India. It will provide invaluable hands-on experience in spaceflight operations, including launch, docking, and life aboard the ISS, directly benefiting India's indigenous human spaceflight capabilities being developed under the Gaganyaan program. This mission will mark a significant milestone as it will be four decades after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian citizen in space in 1984.

Meanwhile, the Gaganyaan program itself has seen shifts in its timeline. India's maiden crewed mission, which aims to send astronauts into low-Earth orbit, is now targeted for launch in the first quarter of 2027. The path to the crewed launch involves a series of uncrewed test flights, with the next such mission anticipated later in 2025, followed by two more in 2026, including one carrying the 'Vyommitra' humanoid robot to validate critical systems.

While intensive mission-specific training is expected to ramp up significantly about a year before the 2027 launch, the astronauts have undergone various phases of preparation in Russia and at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru. Recent reports indicated temporary adjustments to the training schedules for some individuals; for instance, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan was briefly recalled to his IAF unit amidst heightened operational alert, and Group Captain Angad Pratap is on study leave pursuing a PhD. However, all four remain integral to the Gaganyaan mission and continue their preparations for India's historic venture into human spaceflight.