'We pray for safe return': Shubhanshu Shukla’s parents speak ahead of Ax-4 mission liftoff

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut mission, Ax-4. The mission will launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 8:22 am IST on 10 June.

India Returns to Human Spaceflight After 40 Years

The Ax-4 mission marks India’s return to human spaceflight after more than four decades. Alongside India, astronauts from Poland and Hungary will also participate. This will be the second government-sponsored human spaceflight for all three nations, but the first time any of them will carry out a mission aboard the ISS. Axiom Space stated that this collaboration reflects expanding global access to low-Earth orbit and strengthens international space programmes.

Group Captain Shukla was named as the pilot for the Ax-4 mission by Axiom Space. The ISS and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have both acknowledged the mission on their official social media platforms. SpaceX confirmed that the crew and team successfully completed a full rehearsal of launch day procedures ahead of liftoff.