Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will soon launch into space as part of the Axiom Space mission. This mission, called Axiom Four, will begin on Tuesday, June 10, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will head to the International Space Station.

Crew Will Reach Space Station on June Eleven

The team will dock with the ISS nearly 28 hours after launch, around 10 pm IST on June 11. Originally, the mission was scheduled for June 8. However, officials delayed it by two days for technical reasons.

Shukla to Pilot the Mission

Shukla will serve as the pilot. He will fly with mission commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski Wisniewski from Poland. Their mission marks India’s return to space, four decades after Rakesh Sharma flew with the Soviet Soyuz mission in 1984.

NASA Confirms Docking Schedule

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. The targeted docking time is approximately 12.30 pm EDT (10 pm IST), Wednesday, June 11."

Launch Preparations in Full Swing

SpaceX rolled out the Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon spacecraft on Saturday. The rocket is now ready on the launch pad. Meanwhile, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan visited Axiom Space last week to inspect preparations.

Crew Quarantined and Trained Since May Twenty Five

Shukla and his teammates entered quarantine on May 25. They also completed several emergency training drills. Axiom Space posted a video of the training and wrote, "The Ax4 crew undergoes extensive emergency training, featuring a range of scenarios such as underwater escape drills."

The crew will remain aboard the ISS for 14 days. During the stay, they plan to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, students, and space industry experts.

Crew Ready and Confident Before Launch

Earlier this week, the astronauts held a press conference. Peggy Whitson said, "We are good for the launch, we have completed all the training and the team has bonded well." She added, "Our previous missions set the stage and with Ax-4, we ascend even higher, bringing more nations to low-Earth orbit and expanding humanity's reach among the stars."

Shukla described their intense training as “nothing short of transformative.” He added, “It has been an amazing journey so far, but the best is yet to come. As I go into space, I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts.”

Indian Food Experiments in Space

Shukla will conduct food and nutrition experiments on the ISS. ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology designed these studies. NASA supported their development. The aim is to understand how to grow food in space, especially Indian crops like methi and moong.

Seeds Will Be Grown Across Generations

Shukla will expose the seeds to space conditions and bring them back to Earth. Scientists will then grow them into plants over multiple generations.

Mission Will Support Gaganyaan in the Future

This mission will also help India prepare for Gaganyaan, scheduled for launch in 2027. Notably, ISRO has spent around five hundred fifty crore rupees for the Ax4 mission.