It will be a historic moment for India when Axiom Space’s fourth commercial mission to the International Space Station launches aboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida (USA) on Wednesday evening. The launch was originally planned for Tuesday but was delayed by one day because of weather conditions.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Monday that the launch of the Axiom-4 mission to send Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) has been delayed from June 10.
ISRO attributed the delay of the Axiom-4 or Ax4 mission to weather conditions, which is now set to launch on June 11 at the scheduled time of 5:30 pm (8 am EST).
The Ax-4 team comprises of individuals from India, Poland, and Hungary, representing each country’s inaugural mission to the space station, which acts as a pivotal event, and the second government-supported human spaceflight endeavor in more than 40 years according to Axiom Space.
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Since 1984, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become India’s second national astronaut to travel to space. He is part of Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut mission (Ax-4), highlighting a significant achievement in India’s partnership with NASA in space. He will be the second Indian to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma’s Soviet mission.
The Axiom-4 Mission
The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission represents the fourth private astronaut expedition to the International Space Station. It departs from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, using a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, powered by a Falcon 9 rocket.
The mission is commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who is currently with Axiom Space. The global team features Slawosz Uznanski from Poland (European Space Agency) and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both acting as mission specialists. Group Captain Shukla is appointed as the pilot for the mission — a position of significant responsibility and accuracy.
Who is Shubhanshu Shukla?
Hailing from Lucknow, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is a graduate of City Montessori School in Aliganj. Commissioned into the IAF in 2006, Shukla has established an impressive career as a fighter pilot, accumulating over 2,000 flying hours and more than 16 years of service.
Shukla is the youngest of three brothers and the first in his family to enlist in the military. His career in aviation has covered various aircraft, such as the Su-30MKI, MIG-21, MIG-29, Jaguar, and Hawk. He is a certified combat leader and an honored test pilot.
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Chosen for ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Program (HSP), Shukla is a leading candidate for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission as well. For the last eight months, he has been participating in rigorous training with NASA and Axiom Space.
In anticipation of his groundbreaking journey to space, Shukla’s hometown is rejoicing with banners and vehicle stickers. Cutouts are being showcased prominently at his home.
