"There are launch windows in both June and July for the Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), but the exact date will only be determined after the anomaly aboard the ISS has been clarified," said Orsolya Ferencz, ministerial commissioner for space research, at a press conference held in Florida on Thursday.
The head of the HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) program said that the latest delay is not directly related to the Ax-4 mission itself, as the issue observed on the ISS falls within the competence of the U.S. and Russian space agencies, NASA and Roscosmos. The two agencies are working together to investigate the problem. Once the issue is clarified, the U.S. side will set a new launch date, which could happen soon, said Orsolya Ferencz, noting that the crew remains in quarantine and will stay there since they can receive permission to take off at any time.
Tibor Kapu Remains Strong and Positive
She reported that Tibor Kapu, the Hungarian member of the Ax-4 crew, is handling the repeated delays well. She described him as a strong and positive personality who has been well-prepared for situations like this. The commissioner for space research added that the Hungarian expert team continues to support the astronaut. In response to a question, Orsolya Ferencz emphasized that the delays will not affect the mission’s duration or scientific objectives. She also confirmed that all issues related to the Dragon spacecraft carrying the crew have been resolved,
so the Ax-4 mission will proceed using the originally planned capsule.
At the press conference, Spanish-American astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, commander of Axiom Space's previous mission, Ax-3, said that the fuel leak on the Falcon 9 rocket that caused the delay in Wednesday's launch has most likely been resolved. He added that testing of the equipment has been completed, but data analysis will take until Friday morning, after which a final result will be available.
Why the Launch Was Postponed Again
Regarding the anomaly that occurred on the International Space Station, she said that its analysis falls within the remit of NASA and that the situation is still being evaluated. Former Belgian astronaut Frank de Winne, representing the European Space Agency, reported that cooperation with Hungarian researchers on the Ax-4 mission has been excellent.
At least three experiments on the ISS will be carried out jointly by the Hungarian astronaut and the Polish astronaut, who also represents the European Space Agency,
he said.
The current delay in the Ax-4 mission is tied to the anomaly observed aboard the ISS: following recent maintenance work in the rear segment of the Zvezda module, a pressure fluctuation was detected. Guaranteeing the complete safety of both the space station and its crew is essential for any space mission. According to international protocol, if any doubts arise regarding safety, the launch must be postponed. However, the delay will not affect the scientific content or the planned duration of the mission. NASA is expected to announce a new launch date soon. In the meantime, the Ax-4 crew remains on full standby, awaiting launch authorization.
Cover photo: Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu (Photo: MTI/Axiom Space)
