Indian Air Force pilot and astronaut-designate Shubhanshu Shukla, along with three fellow crew members, has entered pre-launch quarantine as preparations gear up for the Axiom Mission-4 (Ax-4).
The joint mission organized by Axiom Space in partnership with NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will mark a historic first, as Shukla becomes the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS).
The crew is scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 8 at 6:41 pm IST, subject to final review. During their 14-day stay aboard the ISS, the astronauts will carry out a range of activities, including microgravity experiments, technology demonstrations, and public outreach efforts.
Axiom Space held a ceremonial send-off for the Ax-4 crew before they entered quarantine. “The crew is on their way to quarantine. Before they went, Axiom Space employees came together to celebrate. The crew send-off is a tradition that pays tribute to the dedication and tireless efforts of the staff prior to the crew embarking on their mission," said the agency on Sunday.
Shubhanshu Shukla, one of the four astronaut-designates for the Gaganyaan mission, will take on the role of pilot for Axiom Mission-4 (Ax-4). The mission will be commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and current director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space.
The mission will also include two mission specialists- ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both making their first trip to the International Space Station. At the send-off event, Shubhanshu Shukla expressed confidence, saying, “I am sure this mission will be a success.”
In preparation for the mission, Shukla and his fellow crew members have undergone extensive training at various international facilities, including NASA’s Johnson Space Center, ESA’s European Astronaut Center in Germany, and SpaceX facilities. They have completed simulations and emergency procedures to ensure readiness for the mission.
This mission also marks the first government-backed spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary in over four decades. Until now, the only Indian to have traveled to space was cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984.
ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan said, “Around Rs 550 crore has been spent on this mission, including the training costs. But the benefit we will get from this mission is phenomenal in terms of the training, exposure to the facilities and the experience of jointly conducting experiments in space."
This commercial mission is part of ISRO’s broader vision to establish a long-term human presence in space. It will pave the way for the Gaganyaan mission, set to launch within the next two years, and the planned Bhartiya Antriksh Station (BAS) by 2035.
ISRO has also selected seven scientific experiments for the mission, carefully reviewed and approved by a panel of experts from different fields, based on proposals submitted by research and development institutions across India.
The teams from Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX will next examine the Falcon 9 rocket, the Dragon capsule, and ISS systems on June 7 to ensure everything is ready for launch.
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