Overview
- The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is scheduled to launch on May 29, 2025, at 1:03 p.m. EDT from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
- Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force officer, will serve as the mission's pilot, marking India’s first human presence on the ISS and its first astronaut in space in nearly 40 years.
- The Ax-4 mission, led by veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, includes a multinational crew featuring astronauts from Poland and Hungary.
- Shukla will conduct over 60 scientific experiments during the 14-day mission, including seven led by Indian researchers focusing on areas like muscle loss, microalgae growth, and food crop sprouting in microgravity.
- Shukla’s call sign ‘Shukx’ reflects his camaraderie with the crew, while his mission bridges India’s human spaceflight legacy with its future Gaganyaan program.