Shubhanshu Shukla Axiom-4 Mission Launch: NASA-ISRO Collab! All Details Of New Mission Led By Indian Astronaut

The Axiom 4 mission finally commenced with the successful takeoff of four crew members in the early hours of June 25. This mission is a collaboration of NASA and India's space giant ISRO. The mission is carried on Elon Musk's SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Indian astronaut and pilot Shubhanshu Shukla is the commander of the mission. With this Shukla is the second Indian to go into space.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "We welcome the successful launch of the Space Mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland and the US."

Over Shukla's new achievement, PM Modi added, "The Indian Astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is on the way to become the first Indian to go to International Space Station. He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians."

From the spacecraft, Shukla said, "Namaskar from Space."

"I am thrilled to be here with my fellow astronauts. What a ride it was! When I was sitting in the capsule, the only thought was 'Let's just go.' It was an amazing ride, and then suddenly, nothing. You were floating in the silence of a vacuum," Shukla shared his experience.

On the successful launch, NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro said, "Congratulations to Axiom Space and SpaceX on a successful launch."

Petro added, "Under President Donald Trump's leadership, America has expanded international participation and commercial capabilities in low Earth orbit. U.S. industry is enabling astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary to return to space for the first time in over forty years. It's a powerful example of American leadership bringing nations together in pursuit of science, discovery, and opportunity."

Watch live as the Ax-4 astronauts check in from orbit:

Who Is Shubhanshu Shukla?

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a distinguished pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF), has been handpicked as one of the four astronauts for the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) historic Gaganyaan mission-the nation's inaugural human space flight endeavour, as per Axiom Space website.

Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, Shukla's journey towards space began a little over a decade ago when he was commissioned into the IAF fighter wing in June 2006. Shukla excelled as a combat leader and seasoned test pilot, with an impressive 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft such as Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.

He ascended to the rank of group captain in March last year, indicating his exceptional contributions.

Also, Shukla received a momentous call from ISRO in 2019. He embarked on rigorous training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow, Russia-a year-long preparation that would shape his destiny. Then on February 27, 2024, PM Modi unveiled Shukla as one of the elite astronauts undergoing intensive training for India's maiden human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, ahead of his Axiom launch in 2025.

AXIOM Mission Live Coverage:

Live coverage of the spacecraft's arrival will begin at 5 a.m., Thursday, June 26, on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

The spacecraft is scheduled to autonomously dock at approximately 7 a.m. to the space-facing port of the space station's Harmony module.

Once aboard the station, Expedition 73 crew members, including NASA astronauts, Nicole Ayers, Anne McClain, and Jonny Kim, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky will welcome the astronauts.

The crew is scheduled to remain at the space station, conducting microgravity research, educational outreach, and commercial activities for about two weeks before a return to Earth and splashdown off the coast of California, as per NASA.

10 Key Highlights Here AX 4 Mission!

1. A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft lifted off at 2:31 a.m. EDT Wednesday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying Axiom Mission 4 crew members.

2. These four crew members are --- Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space as commander, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut and pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and mission specialists ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) astronaut Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

3. This Axiom mission is a collaboration of NASA and ISRO, strengthening their long-standing relationship. As per the main statement, the space agencies are participating in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics demonstrations. NASA and ISRO have a long-standing relationship built on a shared vision to advance scientific knowledge and expand space collaboration.

4. NASA said, this mission serves as an example of the success derived from collaboration between NASA's international partners and American commercial space companies.

5. The crew is scheduled to remain at the space station, conducting microgravity research, educational outreach, and commercial activities for about two weeks before a return to Earth and splashdown off the coast of California, as per the schedule.

6. NASA said, "The International Space Station is a springboard for developing a low Earth economy. NASA's goal is to achieve a strong economy off the Earth where the agency can purchase services as one of many customers to meet its science and research objectives in microgravity."

7. NASA's commercial strategy for low Earth orbit provides the government with reliable and safe services at a lower cost, empowers U.S. industry, and enables the agency to focus on Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars while also continuing to use low Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for those deep space missions, it added.