In a landmark moment for India’s space journey, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is set to lift off aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, June 25.
The mission marks a major milestone in NASA-ISRO collaboration, delivering on a key commitment to send an Indian astronaut to the orbiting lab.
With weather conditions 90% favorable, the launch is scheduled for 12:01 PM IST from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission will use a brand-new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, and docking at the ISS is targeted for 4:30 PM IST on Thursday, June 26, according to NASA.
Mission Crew:
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Peggy Whitson (Commander) – Veteran NASA astronaut, now with Axiom Space
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Shubhanshu Shukla (Pilot) – ISRO’s representative in the mission
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Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski – ESA (Poland)
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Tibor Kapu – HUNOR (Hungary)
Originally delayed due to bad weather and technical issues — including a Falcon 9 leak and a problem in the Russian Zvezda module of the ISS — the mission is finally ready for takeoff after joint repairs and coordination between NASA and Roscosmos.
The Ax-4 mission is part of expanding international cooperation in space exploration. Once docked, the crew will spend about two weeks aboard the ISS, engaging in scientific research, educational outreach, and commercial projects. The mission will also involve five joint NASA-ISRO experiments and two in-orbit STEM demonstrations, underlining the strategic partnership between India and the US.
Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro emphasized the strength of NASA’s collaboration with ISRO and Roscosmos, stating:
“This working relationship has enabled us to move forward with a shared technical solution. Axiom Mission 4 is ready to launch.”
This mission not only deepens India’s footprint in global space exploration but also symbolizes a new era of private-public partnerships in space science and diplomacy.
