The Axiom-4 mission, launched aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, achieved a successful docking with the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday. The docking occurred ahead of schedule at 4:05 PM IST, as Dragon autonomously latched onto the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers closely monitored the automated approach and docking procedures.
The Ax-4 crew includes former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, and European Space Agency astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. They launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at noon IST on June 25.
Upon arrival, the astronauts were greeted by the seven-member Expedition 73 team and underwent a standard safety orientation. The mission is expected to last around two weeks, during which the crew will participate in a range of scientific research, outreach initiatives, and commercial projects.
Watch Docking here:
This mission is particularly historic, marking the first time an astronaut from ISRO has reached the ISS as part of an international collaboration between NASA and the Indian space agency. Additionally, this is the first extended stay on the ISS for astronauts from Poland and Hungary.
Speaking during a live interaction from orbit, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who serves as the pilot for the mission, described the launch experience as “magical.” Reflecting on the moment, he said.
READ ALSO: Shubhanshu Shukla makes history, becomes first Indian astronaut to enter International Space Station
“Sitting in the capsule ‘Grace’ after 30 days in quarantine, all I could think was: let’s go. The launch was exhilarating—you feel a strong push into the seat, and suddenly it’s silent. You’re weightless, floating in space—it’s magical.”
He extended his heartfelt thanks to the mission team, calling the journey a “collective achievement” and adding:
“This experience belongs to everyone who played a role in getting us here. It’s not just my moment—it’s ours.”
Axiom-4 is considered one of Axiom Space’s most research-focused missions to date, featuring joint experiments by NASA and ISRO. These include studies on muscle regeneration, growth of edible microalgae, the survival of aquatic microorganisms in space, and how humans interact with digital displays in microgravity.
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