Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s Axiom‑4 Mission Scheduled for Launch from Florida on June 10

Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s Axiom‑4 Mission Scheduled for Launch: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others are set to embark on Axiom Space’s fourth human spaceflight from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Tuesday. They are likely to dock at the International Space Station on Wednesday at about 10 PM IST, after a nearly 28-hour journey.

Shukla, serving as the mission pilot of the Axiom-4 (Ax4) commercial mission to the ISS, will be accompanied by mission commander Peggy Whitson and specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland.

The Axiom-4 mission marks India’s return to space after 41 years since Rakesh Sharma’s historic spaceflight onboard Russia’s Soyuz mission in 1984. During the 14-day stay at the ISS, the Ax-4 crew is expected to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, school students, and space industry leaders among others.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said in a statement, "The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 12:30 pm EDT (10 pm IST), Wednesday, June 11."

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Ahead of the mission's launch, SpaceX rolled out the Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft to the launch pad in Florida on Saturday.

The Dragon spacecraft was seen integrated atop the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rocket.

"This historic mission underscores how Axiom Space is redefining the pathway to low-Earth orbit and elevating national space programs globally," it added.

Earlier this week, the crew addressed a press conference to give an update on the training ahead of the launch.

"We are good for the launch, we have completed all the training and the team has bonded well," Whitson said on Tuesday.

Shukla described the year-long training for the spaceflight as "nothing short of transformative".

"It has been an amazing journey so far, but the best is yet to come. As I go into space, I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts," Shukla said.

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Shukla is set to conduct exclusive food and nutrition-related experiments developed under a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA.

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan visited Axiom Space last week to review the preparations for the spaceflight.

The astronauts have been in quarantine since May 25 to prepare for the trip and have been training ahead of the launch on June 10.

Shukla’s mission is not just symbolic but also highly scientific. He will conduct exclusive food and nutrition-related experiments developed through collaboration between ISRO, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), and NASA. These experiments aim to advance space nutrition and support systems necessary for future long-duration missions.

One of the key experiments involves sprouting Indian food grains like methi (fenugreek) and moong (green gram) in microgravity. These seeds will later be cultivated on Earth over generations to study long-term viability.

ISRO has lined up seven experiments for Shukla, in addition to five joint studies planned by NASA for its human research program.

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