India, May 15 -- Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force, one of India's astronaut designates for the ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, will have to wait slightly longer for his journey to the International Space Station (ISS). His upcoming mission, Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), which would make him the first Indian to visit the orbiting laboratory, has been postponed.

Originally slated for launch on 29 May 2025, the Ax-4 mission is now targeting a lift-off no earlier than 8 June 2025. The delay was announced by Axiom Space, the private company organising the mission in collaboration with NASA. According to official statements, the postponement is primarily due to the need to review the busy ISS flight schedule and...