New Delhi (PTI): The Axiom-4 mission, which was scheduled to carry Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others to the International Space Station on Tuesday, was put off again to fix a leak in the SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket.
SpaceX announced that it was "standing down" from the Falcon-9 launch to allow time for repairs after a post-static inspection of the rocket's boosters identified a liquid oxygen leak.
"Once complete and pending Range availability, we will share a new launch date," SpaceX said in an X post.
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the liquid oxygen leak was detected in the propulsion bay during a seven-second hot test on the launch pad. The hot test was to validate the performance of the booster stage of Falcon-9 launch vehicle.
"The ISRO team discussed with experts at Axiom and SpaceX and it was decided that the leak would be fixed and necessary validation tests conducted before clearing for the launch,” Narayanan said.
Hence, the Axiom-4 launch slated on June 11, 2025 to send the first Indian Gaganyatri to the International Space Station stands postponed, the ISRO chairman said.
Axiom Space spokesperson said that during the post-static fire investigation of the Falcon-9 booster that supports the Axiom-4 mission, SpaceX teams identified a liquid oxygen leak that requires additional work.
"SpaceX continues to work closely with Axiom Space and partners," Axiom Space said in a statement.
Commander Peggy Whitson, pilot Shukla and specialists Tigor Kapu of Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland were slated to embark up on the Axiom-4 mission.
The 14-day mission will "realise the return" to human spaceflight for India, Poland and Hungary.
The Axiom-4 mission was originally scheduled for launch on May 29. It was first postponed to June 8 and later to June 10.
On June 10, the launch was postponed by a day due to bad weather in the flight path.
Addressing a pre-launch press conference on Monday, SpaceX Vice President William Gerstenmaier said that engineers had fixed some snags in the Falcon-9 rocket that were discovered during the static fire test and had gone unnoticed during the post-flight refurbishment of boosters.
Gerstenmaier said that engineers had discovered a locks leak that was previously seen on the booster during its entry on the last mission and was not fully repaired during the refurbishment.
"We are continuing to troubleshoot that. We should get that completed today and we will have that back in configuration. We are installing a purge that will essentially mitigate the leak if it still continues... on the launch day," he had said.
Gerstenmaier said engineers had also discovered an engine 5 thrust vector control problem and the components associated with that have already been changed.
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Bengaluru, Jul 26 (PTI): A man reported missing was traced and rescued after police arrested four suspects in connection with a kidnapping plot allegedly planned by his ex-girlfriend.
The arrested have been identified as Mohammed Asif Risaldar (42), Mohammed Sohail Sheikh (25), Salman Pasha (22), and Mohammed Nawaz (27), police added.
Lawrence Melwin, in his 30s, had worked in Dubai for the past six years as a manager with a travel agency. He returned to Bengaluru six to seven months ago to care for his ailing father, police said.
Melwin, known to be a skilled poker player, is believed to have amassed "considerable wealth" through the game, they added.
The case came to light on July 16 when Melwin’s mother filed a missing person complaint at the Ashok Nagar police station. She told police that her son, who had been staying at a hotel after a brief stay at home, had not responded to calls since July 14.
Investigations revealed that Melwin had left in a cab with his former girlfriend in the early hours of July 14. She had allegedly insisted on meeting him and booked the cab, police said.
After travelling some distance, the cab took a detour and stopped a short distance away, at which point two men entered the vehicle and allegedly covered Melwin’s face with a cloth mask.
He was reportedly assaulted, and the kidnappers took his phone and bag containing cash. They also forced him to reveal his passwords, police added.
Melwin was taken to a service apartment, where he was held captive for several days. The abductors demanded Rs 50 lakh for his release, police claimed.
Despite being "confined and beaten", Melwin managed to send a distress message to his family through someone who volunteered to help after hearing his cries, leading police to the location.
On July 23, using technical surveillance and local intelligence, police traced the service apartment and rescued Melwin. The four accused were arrested, eventually.
During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed that Melwin’s former girlfriend had masterminded the abduction with help from her associates.
Police said efforts are underway to trace and arrest the remaining accused.