18 hours ago
Last Updated:June 10, 2025, 08:26 IST
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will be the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma. The Axiom-4 mission launches on June 11, 2025, via SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket.
Peggy Whitson, director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will serve as the commander of the mission. (Image: NASA)
As India awaits the lift off of ‘Axiom-4’ space mission, Space Station (ISS)-bound Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will register his name in history for being the second Indian to go to space after Rakesh Sharma.
The space mission named ‘Axiom 4’ will take four astronauts to the space on board SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket. The spaceflight was earlier expected to launch on June 10 but bad weather prompted NASA to delay by a day.
On June 11, the space crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the ISS from LC-39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center from which Astronaut Neil Armstrong lifted off on the Apollo 11 mission on July 16, 1969, and became the first human to step on the moon.
“Due to weather conditions, the launch of Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to Space Station is postponed from 10th June 2025 to 11th June 2025. The targeted time of launch is 5:30 PM IST on 11th June 2025," A post from Indian space research agency ISRO on X, read.
All About Axiom-4 Space Mission
NASA’s Axiom-4 mission will “realize the return" to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight after over 40 years. While Axiom-4 marks these countries’ second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the ISS. The The four crew members will be led by Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight, Peggy Whitson while Shukla will serve as the pilot in the mission.
14-Day Space Odyssey, 60 Experiments
This historic mission highlights how Axiom Space is redefining the pathway to low-Earth orbit and elevating national space programs globally. The space crew will carry out around 60 experiments during their 14-day stay in space, ranging from life science to technology demonstrations to diabetes research.
The much-awaited space mission is a collaboration with Houston-based Axiom Space in partnership with US space agency NASA. The space mission, also referred to as Mission Akash Ganga, will orbit the Space Laboratory. It will spend 14 days in the space.
So far the mission has been deferred four times. Indian Air Force Group Captain Shukla (39) — picked by ISRO as the prime astronaut — is currently in pre-launch quarantine which is a standard protocol to protect astronauts from potential infections before the launch.
Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com's general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manisha.Roy@nw18...Read More
Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com's general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manisha.Roy@nw18...
Read More
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First Published:News world 14-Day Space Odyssey, 60 Experiments: All You Need To Know About Axiom-4 Mission
