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Shubhanshu Shukla to Pilot Axiom-4 Launch, Marking India’s First Crewed Flight in 41 Years

It will carry four astronauts to the ISS for a 14-day research programme focusing on microgravity science.

Shubhanshu Shukla's ride to space ready on the launch pad. See pics
The Axiom Space Ax-4 mission crew stands in front of a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster ahead of their mission to the International Space Station. (Courtesy/SpaceX)
Shubhanshu Shukla's parents at the entrance of their home in Lucknow | Nootan Sharma | ThePrint.
Soyuz T-11 rocket astronauts, including Rakesh Sharma, after the rocker was onboard Salyut-7 | Courtesy: spacefacts.de

Overview

  • Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla leads the Axiom-4 crew alongside veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson and mission specialists from Poland and Hungary.
  • The crew has completed nearly a year of intensive training under veteran Michael Lopez-Alegria and entered quarantine ahead of the June 10 launch.
  • A SpaceX Falcon 9 will lift off from Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A on June 10 at 8:22 a.m. ET and dock with the ISS on June 11 after a 28-hour flight.
  • The mission will conduct about 60 scientific studies representing 31 countries, including seven India-led experiments on food science and life sciences.
  • Shukla’s flight signals a key milestone for India’s human spaceflight ambitions and will inform preparations for the Gaganyaan mission scheduled for 2027.