KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – SpaceX announced on Tuesday evening that it is standing down from its planned Falcon 9 launch of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), citing a leak.
NASA, SpaceX and Axiom Space had targeted Wednesday morning for the launch of the private mission to the International Space Station from Florida’s Space Coast.
Recommended Videos
Liftoff of the Ax-4 mission was slated to happen at the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A.
However, SpaceX officials said that the delay will allow teams to repair a liquid oxygen leak that was discovered during post static fire booster inspections.
“Once complete - and pending Range availability - we will share a new launch date,” officials stated.
[RELATED: When is the next rocket launch in Florida? Here’s an updated calendar]
The Ax-4 launch was originally scheduled for Sunday, June 8.
U.S. Astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the mission. Joining her will be pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Axiom Space officials say the launch marks a milestone, as the first government-sponsored flight for astronauts from Indian, Poland and Hungary in more than 40 years. It will also be the second human spaceflight mission for each of these countries.
Once they get to the space station, the crew will work on 60 scientific studies and activities, including research on cancer treatments, gut microbiology and bone health.
To learn more about the mission, head to the Axiom Space website.
Whenever the launch happens, News 6 and ClickOrlando.com will stream the launch live.