India Shoots for the Stars: Shukla Set to Soar on Historic Private Space Mission on June 8

Updated: May 24, 2025 09:10

Image Source: Hindustan Times

India is set for a historic return to human spaceflight as Indian Air Force officer Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 8, 2025. The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) mission represents India's first space expedition commanded by an astronaut in more than four decades since Rakesh Sharma's historic 1984 flight and heralds a new age of global cooperation and private space leadership.

Launch Date & Location

June 8, 2025, 6:41 PM IST (9:11 AM EDT)
Launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA—specifically the historic Launch Complex 39A—the same pad that launched Apollo 11.

Spacecraft & Crew

The crew will ride in a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule.

Crew members:

Peggy Whitson (USA, Mission Commander, experienced NASA astronaut)
Shubhanshu Shukla (India, Mission Pilot, Indian Air Force
Slawosz Uznanski (Poland
Tibor Kapu (Hungary)

Mission Duration

Intended 14-day stay on board the ISS.

Historic Indian Participation

Shubhanshu Shukla will be the second Indian to travel to space, after Rakesh Sharma's mission in 1984.
Marks India's return to human space travel after a gap of over 40 years.
Shukla's mission is a stepping stone for India's ambitious space plans, including a national space station by 2035 and a lunar mission by 2040

Global Collaboration

The Ax-4 crew members represent India, Poland, and Hungary—each launching back into space for more than four decades and making their first flight on the ISS.
Axiom Space organizes the mission with the support of NASA, SpaceX, ISRO, ESA, POLSA, and HUNOR, reflecting unparalleled international collaboration.

Scientific and Research Objectives

Ax-4 crew members will perform more than 60 experiments from 31 nations, the highest number for any private crewed mission.
Shukla will command seven microgravity experiments, such as ISRO's food-based research on cultivating fenugreek (methi) and moong (green gram) in space, facilitating research in human biology and space agriculture.
The mission will also aid India's human spaceflight project, Gaganyaan, by facilitating practical experience in microgravity adaptation and spaceflight operations.

Significance for India's Space Program

The mission is likely to cost approximately ₹550 crores and is viewed as a key milestone in India's journey towards becoming a space technology leader of the world.
The experience and collaboration are going to feed directly into India's indigenous crewed space plans.

Delays in Launch and Readiness

The launch, scheduled for May 29, was deferred to June 8 to align with ISS scheduling and make the mission ready.

Safety and preparedness have been NASA and Axiom Space's top priority, with everything and everyone finalized through final checks.

Sources: The National News, Pragativadi, The Week, MyNews13, NDTV, Business Standard, Economic Times, CNBC TV18

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