News Brief
Axiom-4 Mission To International Space Station Set For Launch With Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla On Board
From left to right: Tibor Kapu of Hungary, ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, and ESA astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland (Pic Via NASA)
After several delays, the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is scheduled to launch on Wednesday (25 June) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 12:01 PM IST, Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed.
“Indian astronaut Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla formally joins the other three crew members for the much-awaited launch, as of now, scheduled around 12:01 PM IST today,” Singh wrote on X.
The mission will carry a four-member crew to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
Among them is India’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force test pilot making his maiden voyage to space.
Hailing from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Shukla has logged over 2,000 flight hours across fighter aircraft such as the Su-30 MKI and MiG-29.
During Ax-4, he will conduct experiments on space agriculture, microbial behaviour, muscle loss, and other fields critical to long-duration space travel.
Commanding the mission is Dr Peggy Whitson (USA), the most experienced American astronaut with 675 days in space. Known for her leadership and scientific acumen, Whitson returns to guide Ax-4 through its complex research agenda.
Joining them are Sawosz Uznanski of Poland, a CERN physicist and ESA astronaut, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, a mechanical engineer with expertise in polymer technology and space radiation.
Embodying the theme “Space is for everyone,” the Ax-4 mission highlights global unity in science and innovation. Its mission patch displays the flags of participating countries and seven stars representing all continents.
