Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission to International Space Station postponed

The Ax-4 crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the space station and spend up to 14 days at the orbiting laboratory.

Axiom Space will launch its fourth mission to the International Space Station, carrying Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and three others, from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on 8 June instead of the earlier scheduled launch on 29 May.

Axiom Space announced on X, "The #Ax4 crew is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on June 8 at 9:11 a.m. EDT from Florida."

New DateThe #Ax4 crew is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on June 8 at 9:11am EDT from Florida. https://t.co/qDNK7xKIqe

Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) May 14, 2025

Shubhanshu Shukla’s travel to space comes four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic spaceflight onboard Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft. The Ax-4 crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the space station and spend up to 14 days at the orbiting laboratory.

"The Ax-4 launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket is targeted no earlier than 9:11 a.m., Sunday, June 8, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida," a statement from Axiom Space stated.

"During the mission aboard the space station, a four-person multi-national crew will complete about 60 research experiments developed for microgravity in collaboration with organizations across the globe," it further added.

Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot. The two mission specialists are ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

Shubhanshu Shukla: A decorated test pilot with the IAF

A decorated test pilot with the Indian Air Force, Shubhanshu Shukla was shortlisted under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Program (HSP) and is among the top contenders for the Gaganyaan mission, India’s first indigenous crewed orbital flight. His journey aboard the Ax-4 mission is expected to provide critical hands-on experience in spaceflight operations, launch protocols, microgravity adaptation, and emergency preparedness — all essential for India’s crewed space ambitions.