India’s Gaganyaan astronaut-designate, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from Lucknow, is ready to make history with a 14-day voyage to the ISS International Space Station (ISS) via Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission. Launching today at 12:01 PM IST from Kennedy Space Centre, Shubhanshu will pilot SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, propelled by the Falcon-9 rocket. Audience can catch the live coverage of the Axiom-4 mission launch starting at 12:30 AM ET (10 AM IST) on the official YouTube channels of SpaceX, NASA, and Axiom Space.
The mission, led by NASA veteran Peggy Whitson, includes astronauts from the US, Poland, and Hungary. During his stay, Shubhanshu will conduct seven critical Indian experiments, including studies on seed germination in microgravity, tardigrade survival, and muscle regeneration, key research for India’s Gaganyaan program.
If all goes as planned, docking is scheduled to occur on June 26 at 4:30 PM IST. Shubhanshu will also engage in live interactions with India's PM Modi and Indian students, inspiring the next generation of space explorers. This mission marks a major leap for India’s space ambitions, offering invaluable insights ahead of Gaganyaan’s 2025 launch.
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