Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Set for Historic Spaceflight on June 10

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will fly to space on June 10 aboard Axiom Space’s fourth human spaceflight, Axiom-4 (Ax-4). The launch will take place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft is expected to reach the International Space Station (ISS) after a 28-hour journey, with docking planned on June 11 at 10 pm IST.

Mission Delayed by Two Days

Originally, the launch was scheduled for June 8. However, the team postponed it to June 10 due to final preparations. NASA stated, “The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket,” adding that “the targeted docking time is approximately 12:30 pm EDT (10 pm IST), Wednesday, June 11.”

Shukla to Pilot the Mission

Shubhanshu Shukla will pilot the Ax-4 mission. He will fly with mission commander Peggy Whitson, Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu, and Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski. This mission marks India’s return to space after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission.

Falcon 9 and Dragon Rolled Out

On Saturday, SpaceX rolled out the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft to the launch pad. The reusable rocket, built by Elon Musk’s company, now stands ready.

ISRO Reviews Mission Plans

Last week, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan visited Axiom Space to oversee the mission’s final steps. Since May 25, the Ax-4 crew has remained in quarantine and continued intense training.

Extensive Training and Safety Drills

Axiom Space released a training video showing emergency drills. The company posted on X, “The #Ax4 crew undergoes extensive emergency training, featuring a range of scenarios such as underwater escape drills.”

14 Days in Orbit with Key Interactions

During their 14-day stay at the ISS, the astronauts will interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, students, and global space leaders. At a press briefing, Whitson confirmed, “We are good for the launch, we have completed all the training and the team has bonded well.” She also said, “With Ax-4, we ascend even higher, bringing more nations to low-Earth orbit and expanding humanity’s reach among the stars.”

Shukla Shares His Mission Goals

Speaking about his journey, Shukla said the year-long training was “nothing short of transformative.” He also noted, “As I go into space, I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts.”

India’s Nutrition Experiments in Space

Shukla will conduct exclusive food and nutrition experiments at the ISS. These were jointly developed by ISRO, the Department of Biotechnology, and supported by NASA. The goal is to build space nutrition systems and self-sustaining life support methods for long-duration missions.

Indian Seeds in Microgravity

One major task involves growing fenugreek (methi) and green gram (moong) in microgravity. Shukla will expose the seeds to space conditions, bring them back, and help grow them on Earth across generations.

Supporting India’s Gaganyaan Mission

Shukla’s Ax-4 experience will support India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission set for 2027. ISRO is investing around ₹550 crore in the Ax-4 flight to prepare for future human space exploration.