Shubhanshu Shukla's Historic Spaceflight Set for June 25 Aboard Axiom-4 Mission
- Shubhanshu Shukla to fly as pilot on Axiom-4 mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre.
- Previous delays caused by rocket booster and ISS module leaks.
- SpaceX Dragon to dock with the ISS at 4:30 p.m. IST.
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is all set to launch into space on June 25 as part of the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), according to a recent announcement by NASA. The mission marks a significant milestone for India, Hungary, and Poland, with astronauts from each country onboard the fourth private spaceflight to the ISS.
The Axiom-4 mission will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, targeting 12:01 p.m. IST (2:31 a.m. EDT) on Wednesday. The four-member crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson, with Shukla as the mission pilot, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu and Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski as mission specialists.
The launch, initially scheduled for May 29, has faced several delays due to technical issues. It was first postponed to June 8, then again to June 10 and 11 following the discovery of a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon 9 rocket boosters. Simultaneously, NASA identified leaks in a Russian module on the ISS, leading to additional postponements to June 19 and June 22.
NASA has since completed its assessments and is ready to proceed with the launch. The spacecraft, a new SpaceX Dragon, is expected to dock with the ISS at around 4:30 p.m. IST on June 26.
This mission represents a major step forward for private astronaut flights and international collaboration in space exploration.
