Axiom Mission 4 Launch Scheduled for June 19 After Leak Repairs

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida — Axiom Space‘s fourth private astronaut mission, Ax-4, is set to launch on June 19 from NASA‘s Kennedy Space Center. The mission will send four private astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) following recent repairs to the Zvezda service module.

NASA and Axiom Space announced the new launch date after assessing repairs to small leaks discovered in the Zvezda module, which have been monitored for several years. These leaks had raised concerns for the safety of crew members expected to travel to the ISS, which is why a previous launch on June 11 was delayed.

Following a series of repairs by Roscosmos, the pressure in the transfer tunnel of Zvezda has stabilized, which could indicate the leaks have been successfully sealed. However, officials are cautious and continue to monitor the situation.

On board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the mission while Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the pilot. The mission specialists include ESA astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

This mission marks an important occasion, as it will be the first time astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary will visit the ISS, contributing to more than 60 scientific investigations during their stay.

SpaceX has also resolved a liquid oxygen leak found in its Falcon 9 rocket and is prepared for the launch. The rocket is now scheduled to lift off at 4:53 a.m. EDT on June 19 from Launch Complex 39A.

“We are excited to continue our partnership with NASA and Axiom Space to make this historic mission a reality,” said SpaceX Vice President Bill Gerstenmaier. “The fixes to the Falcon 9 booster are complete, and we are ready for Ax-4 liftoff.”