The Axiom-4 mission crew will have to remain on the International Space Station (ISS) for longer than the scheduled 14 days because their return to Earth has been postponed. The European Space Agency (ESA) has confirmed that due to technical and mission scheduling reasons, the crew's return is no longer possible before July 14.
New Delhi: The return to Earth of the four astronauts of the Axiom-4 mission, including Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, has been postponed once again. The mission team will now remain on the International Space Station (ISS) until at least July 14. Two major reasons have emerged behind this decision: bad weather and a technical fault in the ISS.
Besides Shubhanshu Shukla, the Axiom-4 crew includes former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson (Commander), European Space Agency (ESA)'s Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungary's Tibor Kapu. These four astronauts arrived at the ISS aboard SpaceX's Dragon capsule 'Grace' on June 27 and have been engaged in scientific experiments there.
Return was scheduled for July 10, but...
Under the Axiom-4 mission, the plan was to return on July 10 after a 14-day stay on the space station. However, bad weather in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico has temporarily closed the doors for the return. Both ESA and NASA have confirmed that a return is not possible before July 14. SpaceX's Dragon capsule returns through a soft landing in the sea, which is called a 'splashdown'.
This is only possible when the sea is calm, the waves are controlled, and the wind speed is also within a safe limit. But currently, the weather near the Florida coast is not favorable. Strong winds, storms, and high waves can be a danger to this mission.
Technical fault in ISS is also a reason for the delay
Not only the weather, but a technical problem in the ISS is also a major reason for this delay. A problem of air leakage (pressure leakage) had come to light in Russia's Zvezda module. Although NASA and Roscosmos (Russian Space Agency) repaired it, a new leakage signal was later received, which is still under investigation.
Since the ISS is a completely closed environment, any kind of air leakage can be a danger to the safety of all the astronauts present there. Until a completely safe environment is ensured, no space capsule can be undocked.
Could Shubhanshu Shukla be stuck in space?
This question has reminded many people of the situation of Sunita Williams when she stayed in space for more days than scheduled due to other technical reasons. However, in the current situation, Shubhanshu Shukla and his companions are not 'stuck', but are safely staying under planned precautions. NASA and SpaceX are monitoring this entire mission very carefully and as soon as the weather and technical conditions are favorable, the return window will be opened.
The return of the Dragon capsule to Earth does not only depend on the spacecraft's capacity, but it is entirely based on accurate real-time calculations and weather forecasting. The heat shield withstands thousands of degrees of temperature at the time of return and then the capsule has to be soft-landed in the sea through parachutes.
If the weather is bad during this process or there is no orbital coordination between the ISS and the capsule, the mission may be at risk. Therefore, finding the right time for the 'launch window' is essential. While NASA and ESA have made it clear that there will be a delay in the return of Axiom-4, India's space agency ISRO has not yet made any official statement on this issue. However, it is expected that as soon as the new date for the return is fixed, ISRO will confirm it.
