Latest news with #LaunchEscapeSystem
News18
6 days ago
- Science
- News18
Shubhanshu Shukla's Space Launch Was Saved Just A Minute Before Liftoff. Here's How
Last Updated: The spacecraft was having trouble accepting the wind condition data upload which is useful in emergency situations It was a moment etched in history—the countdown echoed across the launchpad, cameras rolled, and families held their breath. But what most did not know was just how close the historic Axiom Mission-4 came to being called off, only hours before Indian astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, was set to lift off into space. The culprit? A delay in updating the Falcon 9 rocket's flight computer with the latest wind data during the final countdown. The issue surfaced within the last launch window, but after swiftly correcting the data upload, the team resolved the problem, allowing the launch to proceed without aborting. Explained in simpler terms, it means the spacecraft was having trouble accepting the wind condition data upload. This information is crucial for emergency situations, as it helps the spacecraft identify safe offshore splashdown zones if an abort is necessary after launch. Engineers worked quickly to resolve the issue and successfully upload the data before arming the Launch Escape System. For a mission that had already weathered multiple delays—from May 29 to June 8, then June 10—this final snag triggered tense moments. For Shubhanshu Shukla, the stakes were personal—and national. As the first Indian-origin astronaut to reach the International Space Station, and only the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma in 1984, this mission was a symbol of a nation's growing space ambition. At noon (IST), Falcon 9 roared to life and pierced the Florida sky, carrying Shukla, veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, Poland's Sławosz Uznański, and Hungarian-American Tibor Kapu toward the International Space Station. First Published: June 25, 2025, 13:38 IST
NDTV
6 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
How Shubhanshu Shukla's Space Flight Was 60 Seconds Away From Getting Scrapped
New Delhi: With less than 60 seconds remaining before a possible abort, a critical technical issue was resolved this morning, paving the way for the launch of Axiom Mission 4 from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The mission is carrying four astronauts, including India's Shubhanshu Shukla, to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a major milestone for commercial spaceflight and India's human spaceflight programme. The issue, identified as a delay in uploading updated wind data to the Falcon 9 rocket's flight computer, was flagged by SpaceX engineers during the final countdown sequence. The anomaly occurred inside the final window. Following rapid data uplink corrections, the problem was resolved without triggering an abort. In layman's terms, the spacecraft was not accepting the upload of wind condition data. This data is essential in case of an emergency abort after launch, as it would allow the spacecraft to accurately target offshore emergency splashdown locations. Engineers had to troubleshoot and successfully upload that data before they could arm the Launch Escape System. The system had to be enabled no later than 37 minutes before liftoff. SpaceX informed the crew that the data had been uploaded successfully with just one minute to spare. The Axiom-4 mission will be launched at 12:01 pm IST (2:31 am EDT), from Launch Complex 39A. The mission is the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS organised by Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA and executed by SpaceX. Shubhanshu Shukla, a former Indian Air Force Group Captain and payload specialist trained under NASA and ISRO, is joined by mission commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, a European Space Agency-supported engineer, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The four-person crew boarded the Dragon capsule "Endurance" early today, having completed final health and mission readiness checks after exiting a 30-day quarantine. The spacecraft, mounted atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, made its maiden flight after multiple delays. "Dragon's hatch is closed, all communication and suit checks are complete, the seats are rotated, and the Ax-4 crew is ready for launch," SpaceX posted on X (formerly Twitter). During pre-launch hatch checks, Commander Whitson reported discovering a foreign fibre near the seal area, which was promptly removed by the ground team. A subsequent leak integrity check was carried out and the side hatch was re-secured. The launch was previously postponed multiple times. Initially scheduled for May 29, it was first delayed to June 8 due to the incomplete readiness of the Dragon capsule. On June 10 and 11, further delays were forced by high-altitude wind concerns in the rocket's ascent corridor and a liquid oxygen (LOX) leak discovered in the Falcon 9 booster. The ageing Zvezda service module of the ISS operated by Roscosmos also required emergency maintenance, further narrowing the available docking windows. The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS at approximately 4:30 pm IST tomorrow, pending nominal orbital manoeuvres and approach checks.
