The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, launched on June 25, 2025, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marks a watershed moment in India’s space history. Piloted by Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, this mission represents India’s first government-sponsored human spaceflight in over four decades and the country’s inaugural journey to the International Space Station (ISS).

The Ax-4 crew comprises four members:

Commander: Peggy Whitson (USA), a veteran astronaut and Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight, making her fifth spaceflight.

Pilot: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (India), a distinguished Indian Air Force test pilot and ISRO astronaut, now the first Indian to travel to the ISS and only the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission.

Mission Specialist: Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland), ESA project astronaut.

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

The team launched aboard SpaceX’s new Dragon spacecraft, named “Grace,” atop a Falcon 9 rocket, targeting a docking with the ISS at 4 pm IST on June 26, 2025. The crew will spend approximately two weeks on the ISS.

Ax-4 is a landmark for India, Poland, and Hungary, each returning to human spaceflight after more than 40 years. While all three nations previously participated in Soviet-era Interkosmos missions, this is their first mission to the ISS and their second human spaceflight overall. For India, it is a momentous step, with Shukla following in the footsteps of Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard Soyuz T-11 in 1984.

Shukla has expressed deep admiration for Sharma, citing him as a childhood inspiration and underscoring the personal and national significance of this mission.

Ax-4 is the most research-intensive Axiom Space mission to date, with around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries. The research spans human physiology, Earth observation, biological sciences, space agriculture, and technology demonstrations, emphasising international collaboration and advancing microgravity research in low-Earth orbit.

India, alongside the U.S., Poland, and Hungary, leads several scientific portfolios. ISRO-sponsored experiments focus on muscle regeneration, plant growth, cognitive effects of screen exposure, and microalgae behaviour, highlighting India’s growing capabilities in space science and technology.

This mission is not just a scientific milestone but a strategic leap for India’s space ambitions. It strengthens the longstanding NASA-ISRO partnership and serves as a precursor to India’s goal of landing an astronaut on the Moon by 2040. The mission demonstrates the value of international partnerships and the growing role of commercial space enterprises in expanding access to space.

Axiom-4, piloted by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is rewriting India’s spaceflight history by returning the nation to human space exploration, fostering global scientific collaboration, and laying the groundwork for even more ambitious missions in the future.

Based On ANI Report