Axiom‑4 Mission Launches Today with India’s Shubhanshu Shukla on Board

Axiom‑4 Mission: After multiple delays, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is set to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday as part of Axiom Mission 4. SpaceX confirmed, “All systems are looking good... and weather is 90% favourable for liftoff.”

Nasa, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are targeting a 12:01 PM IST launch on June 25 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with docking scheduled for 4:30 PM IST on June 26.

The crew includes mission commander Peggy Whitson (Axiom Space), pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (Isro), and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (ESA) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary). The launch had been postponed due to bad weather and technical issues with both the Falcon 9 rocket and a Russian module on the ISS.

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Nasa said the mission proceeds after repairs and discussions with Roscosmos. “This professional working relationship has allowed the agencies to arrive at a shared technical approach,” said acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro.

This mission, fulfilling a commitment by Donald Trump and Narendra Modi, marks the first time an ISRO astronaut travels to the ISS. The team will spend two weeks conducting science, outreach, and commercial activities, including joint NASA-Isro experiments.

The Ax-4 team also includes Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. They will also be taking their countries back to space after four decades.

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A collaboration between Nasa, Isro and the European Space Agency (Esa), Wednesday's flight by Houston-based private company Axiom Space will be launched using the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket.

Group Captain Shukla's inclusion in the mission has generated a huge amount of interest in India, and posters of the astronaut have appeared in his hometown of Lucknow.

During their two-week mission, Axiom Space says, the crew would spend most of their time conducting 60 scientific experiments, including seven designed by Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).

As he heads into space, Group Captain Shukla says, "I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts."

However, some of the other items in his bag will be more tangible.

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