Axiom-4 lifts off, India's Shubhanshu Shukla heads to space

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force pilot, became the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission. Shukla launched aboard the Axiom-4 private space mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at noon (IST) on June 25. The Crew Dragon capsule is en route to the International Space Station (ISS), with docking expected around 4:30 pm IST on June 26.

The Axiom-4 mission comprises four astronauts—Group Captain Shukla (India), mission commander Peggy Whitson (United States), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary). With this mission, India, Poland, and Hungary each mark their return to human spaceflight after more than four decades. The astronauts will stay aboard the ISS for approximately two weeks.

During the mission, the crew will conduct 60 scientific experiments, including seven designed by Indian researchers. Group Captain Shukla has been designated as the mission pilot. He underwent over a month of quarantine ahead of the launch to maintain medical fitness. The ISS, orbiting the Earth at around 400 km altitude, is a multinational space laboratory used for long-duration scientific studies.

Group Captain Shukla spoke from orbit shortly after launch, saying, “This is not the beginning of my flight. This is the beginning of India’s human spaceflight efforts. I am with you all. You all can participate in this flight and feel the energy, and become a part of this mission.” Hours before launch, he also sent a message to his family: “Just wait for me, I’m coming.”

The Axiom-4 mission experienced multiple delays due to weather and technical reasons. June 25 was the sixth launch date announced. The launchpad used—Complex 39A—is the same site from which Apollo 11 launched in 1969. The mission marks the first time an Indian has traveled to the ISS and highlights international cooperation in commercial space missions.