Axiom-4 Lifts Off: India's Shubhanshu Shukla Embarks on Historic International Space Station Journey

 India – June 25, 2025 – The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) successfully launched to the International Space Station (ISS) today, carrying a historic crew including India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, marking a significant milestone for India's human spaceflight ambitions. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, topped with a brand-new Crew Dragon capsule, lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

After several delays due to various technical issues and careful reviews by NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, the mission finally embarked on its journey at approximately 12:01 PM IST (2:31 AM EDT). The crew is expected to dock with the International Space Station on Thursday, June 26, after a roughly 28-hour journey.

The four-member international crew includes:

• Commander Peggy Whitson (USA), a former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space's Director of Human Spaceflight.

• Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (India), an Indian Air Force Group Captain and the first Indian astronaut to travel to the ISS. This marks India's return to human spaceflight after 41 years, following Rakesh Sharma's mission in 1984.

• Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland), a European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut.

• Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu (Hungary), representing the Hungarian Space Office.

The Ax-4 mission is Axiom Space's fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory. For India, Poland, and Hungary, this mission represents the first government-sponsored human spaceflight in over four decades, and for all three nations, it is their first time executing a mission aboard the ISS.

During their planned two-week stay on the ISS, the crew will conduct a wide array of scientific research, outreach, and commercial activities. Notably, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will participate in several experiments, including some designed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). These experiments include studies on the impacts of spaceflight on crop seeds, cyanobacteria, and human muscle function, which are crucial for understanding long-duration space missions and future space exploration endeavors like India's Gaganyaan program.

The successful launch has been met with widespread excitement, particularly in India, where Shubhanshu Shukla's mission is seen as a significant step forward in the nation's burgeoning space program and a source of national pride.