All about the revised Green India Mission to increase forest cover, address climate change
International Yoga Day: Why is it hard to pinpoint the origin of yoga?
QA::Why Madhya Pradesh CM's wish to count snakes and rear king cobras is unfeasible
What new Registration Bill says, why it was introduced
The Axiom-4 mission carrying Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) has been delayed again, with the NASA stating that it needs additional time to continue evaluating the operations of ISS after repair work on one of its modules, Zvezda.
Axiom Space, which is carrying out the mission, said: “NASA has made the decision to stand down from the launch on Sunday June 22 and will target a new launch date in coming days.”
The mission has been postponed several times since its initial launch date of May 29, owing to problems in the electrical harness of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that was to carry the astronauts, a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon-9 rocket, inclement weather in the flight path, and repairs needed to fix leaks in ISS’s Zvezda module.
While the leak on the Zvezda module was first detected in 2019, the current Axiom-4 mission was pushed back after changes in pressure were noted, requiring repair work.
“Because of the space station’s interconnected and interdependent systems, NASA wants to ensure the station is ready for additional crew members, and the agency is taking the time necessary to review data,” the space agency said in a statement.
NASA added that the crew continues to remain in quarantine in Florida, and the astronauts stand ready to launch when the station is ready to receive them.
The four astronauts for the mission — Peggy Whitson from the US, India’s Shukla, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu — have been in quarantine since mid-May.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will become India’s second astronaut in space and the first one to go to the ISS.
In 1984, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma spent almost eight days on board the Soviet Salyut-7 Orbital Station.
At the space station, Shukla will conduct seven Indian experiments and participate in several international ones.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
