The launch of the Axiom-4 mission, which will carry India’s second astronaut to space, has been delayed for the fifth time, this time due to a technical issue with the rocket.

On June 11, SpaceX announced that the mission to the International Space Station (ISS) could not proceed as scheduled because of a liquid oxygen (LOx) leak discovered in its Falcon 9 rocket. This issue was identified during an inspection following a hot test of the rocket booster.

The launch was originally scheduled for June 11 but will now be pushed to a later date, which SpaceX will confirm once the repair work is completed and launch clearance is received.

The LOx leak was reportedly found in the propulsion bay during performance testing. As part of pre-launch procedures, SpaceX conducted a seven-second hot test on the launch pad. During this, the leak was detected.

After discussions among experts from ISRO, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, it was decided that the fault must be fixed and validated with another test before moving forward with the launch. ISRO confirmed that the mission, meant to carry the first Indian Gaganyatri to the ISS, has been officially postponed.

Group Captain Prashanth Nair Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force officer and trained test pilot, will fly aboard the mission. He will become the first Indian to travel to the ISS, marking India's return to human spaceflight nearly four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission.

Shukla will be joined by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and the mission commander, as well as Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

The crew is expected to spend up to 14 days aboard the ISS, where they will take part in a combination of scientific, educational, and commercial activities.

Shukla, who was shortlisted by ISRO for the Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight Program, is expected to gain critical experience through this mission. His time aboard the Axiom-4 mission will help him build practical skills in areas like launch operations, spaceflight routines, microgravity adjustment, and emergency handling.

He is also set to conduct seven scientific experiments related to agriculture, food science, and human biology during his stay on the ISS.

Previously, the launch was delayed multiple times due to unfavorable weather conditions, with the most recent hold happening just days earlier.