Outlook Business Desk
The Axiom-4 mission, carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, is scheduled to launch on June 25 at 2:31 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) or 12:01 p.m. Indian Standard Time (IST) from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Kennedy Space Center.
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the pilot on the Axiom-4 mission, which will be led by veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. They will be joined by Gábor Máriássy (Hungary) and Sławosz Uznański (Poland). The crew will launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Astronauts will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. NASA confirmed docking is scheduled for 7 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) or 4:30 p.m Indian Standard Time (IST), on Thursday, June 26.
Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. It marks a return to space for the participating countries, including India, Hungary and Poland.
Originally set for May 29, the Axiom Mission 4 faced multiple postponements. Technical issues, including a liquid oxygen leak in Falcon 9 boosters, led to initial delays.
Further delays came as NASA investigated leaks in an ageing Russian module aboard the ISS. The launch was pushed to June 8, 10, 11, 19 and June 22.
Axiom-4 marks a major step in India's role in human space exploration. It's part of the rising trend of commercial spaceflight shaping the future of global space missions.