Indian Space Research Organisation asserted that safety and mission integrity were its top priority as NASA and Axiom Space said they were working to address an issue related to a leak at the International Space Station, even as SpaceX chief Elon Musk voiced concerns over the long-term safety of the orbital lab and suggested it be brought down in two years.
India’s Shubhanshu Shukla, along with three other astronauts, is scheduled to travel to the ISS as part of the Axiom-4 commercial mission that has now been put on indefinite delay, as space agencies address various issues that have cropped up ahead of the launch.
“Safety and mission integrity remain our top priorities,” ISRO chairman V Narayanan said in a post on X.
He said ISRO is working closely with Axiom Space, NASA and SpaceX, as they responsibly address the ISS Zvezda module observation causing the delay.
Earlier, India’s return to spaceflight as part of the Axiom-4 private mission has run into further delay as NASA announced that it was examining a leak onboard the International Space Station’s Russian module.
As reported by PTI, “NASA and Axiom Space are postponing the launch of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station,” a NASA statement said.
