As India waits with bated breath for a historic moment in its space odyssey, the first images from within the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft started gracing TV screens. The images depict Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, suited and ready, sitting with his three other crewmates for the much-anticipated Axiom-4 mission that will liftoff at 12:01 PM IST today.
The SpaceX Dragon, boosted by a Falcon-9 rocket, will blast off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida — the same launchpad Neil Armstrong used for his flight to the Moon in 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission.
Now, Shubhanshu Shukla is creating history as the second Indian astronaut to go to space, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who had flown on a Soviet mission in 1984. The pilot of the Indian Air Force has spent more than a month under quarantine, following rigorous health protocols for the security of the mission.
Shukla will be the pilot on the private space mission. Accompanying him are US mission commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
During a recent meeting, Shukla mentioned, “I carry with me not just instruments and equipment, but the hopes and dreams of a billion hearts.”
Crew to Perform 60 Experiments, Including Seven from India
As a part of their two-week stay on the International Space Station (ISS), the Ax-4 crew will carry out 60 science experiments, including seven that have been suggested by Indian scientists. The mission has science, commercial research, and international cooperation under Axiom Space’s private astronaut program.
Several Launch Delays and Last Countdown
Axiom-4 launch has seen a series of delays caused by weather and technical issues. Today, June 25, marks the sixth launch date that NASA has planned.
Full Axiom-4 Launch and Docking Schedule (IST Transformed)
Wednesday, June 25
- 10:00 AM – Axiom Space and SpaceX launch coverage
- 11:10 AM – NASA begins its coverage of the launch
- 12:01 PM – Launch time
Thursday, June 26
- 2:30 PM – Arrival coverage to begin on NASA+, Axiom Space, and SpaceX channels
- 4:30 PM – Targeted docking to the ISS Harmony module