Ax-4 Launch With Indian Astronaut Onboard Further Delayed, SpaceX To Announce New Date

SpaceX delayed the Falcon 9 Ax-4 launch to the ISS due to a liquid Oxygen leak discovered after booster inspections, compounded by weather concerns.

SpaceX delayed the Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the ISS due to a liquid oxygen (LOx) leak discovered during booster inspections. Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is part of the mission.

Source : PIB/X(@SpaceX)

The launch of the Falcon 9 rocket has once again been delayed as SpaceX addresses the last-minute technical glitches alongside weather-related challenges.

"Standing down from tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections. Once complete – and pending Range availability – we will share a new launch date," said the SpaceX in a post on X. 

Standing down from tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of Ax-4 to the @Space_Station to allow additional time for SpaceX teams to repair the LOx leak identified during post static fire booster inspections. Once complete – and pending Range availability – we will share a new launch date pic.twitter.com/FwRc8k2Bc0

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 11, 2025

Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is part of the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station. This the fourth delay that the mission is experiencing. Earlier, the mission was stalled  due to unfavourable weather conditions, with a 45 per cent chance of rain and strong winds reported at the launch site.

ISRO Shares Update On Falcon 9 

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) also shared an update on the delay of Falcon 9's liftoff. 

"As part of launch vehicle preparation to validate the performance of the booster stage of Falcon 9 launch vehicle, seven second of hot test was carried out on the launch pad. It is understood that LOX (Liquid Oxygen) leakage was detected in the propulsion bay during the test," said the ISRO chief in a post on X. 

"Based on the discussion on this topic by ISRO team with the experts of Axiom and SpaceX it has been decided to correct the leak and carry out necessary validation test before clearing for the launch. Hence the launch of Axiom 04 slated for  11th June 2025 for sending first Indian Gaganyatri to ISS is postponed," the post read further.