Who is Shubhanshu Shukla, the IAF officer heading to the ISS on Axiom-4 mission?
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force is set to be the first Indian in over four decades to travel to space and board the International Space Station (ISS), with liftoff scheduled for June 11 as part of Axiom Space's Ax-4 mission. The flight, launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon, marks a significant milestone in India's growing human spaceflight ambitions.
Also Read: Axiom-4 mission: All eyes on weather conditions as agencies target June 11 launch
The launch, originally scheduled for June 10 but delayed due to weather conditions, is now set for 5:30 p.m. IST on June 11 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Shukla will serve as the mission pilot, joining Commander Peggy Whitson (U.S.), Sławosz Uznański (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) for a two-week mission focused on scientific research and international collaboration.
This mission is part of a privately funded commercial effort, with India reportedly investing over $60 million to facilitate Shukla's flight to the ISS. ISRO is spending ₹550 crore on the Axiom-4 mission.
Who is Shubhanshu Shukla?
Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Shubhanshu Shukla completed his schooling from City Montessori School before joining the National Defence Academy. Commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2006, he has accumulated over 2,000 hours of flying time on a wide range of aircraft including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, and Dornier-228. He holds an M.Tech in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
Mr. Shukla was one of four officers selected in 2019 for ISRO's Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme. He underwent extensive training at Russia's Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre and ISRO's Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru. Earlier this year, he was announced as part of the Axiom-4 crew, in what is seen as a crucial step ahead of India's crewed space missions under Gaganyaan. Shukla, who goes by the nickname 'Shux', will be the second Indian to travel to space, 41 years after his idol Rakesh Sharma undertook a spaceflight in 1984 onboard the erstwhile Soviet Union's Soyuz spacecraft for an eight-day stay in orbit.
Earlier this week, the crew addressed a press conference to give an update on the training ahead of the launch. 'This is not just my journey; this is the journey of 1.4 billion Indians. Even if this story can change one life or inspire one young person, it will be a success,' Mr. Shukla said.
What is Axiom-4 mission?
The Axiom-4 crew is expected to stay aboard the ISS for 14 to 21 days, conducting over 60 experiments in partnership with 31 countries. These range from biomedical research to Earth observation and materials science. Some of the experiments were developed with input from ISRO, offering India valuable scientific and operational insights ahead of the Gaganyaan mission, now expected in 2027.
The Ax-4 mission will 'realize the return' to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation's first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station. This historic mission underscores how Axiom Space is redefining the pathway to low-Earth orbit and elevating national space programs globally.
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Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
Axiom-4 mission launch date and time: Countdown begins for ISS journey for Shubhanshu Shukla and 3 other crews
Image: Axiom Mission 4—also known as Ax‑4—is officially scheduled to launch on June 11, 2025. It'll blast off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Launch Complex 39A, aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket. The crew will ride inside the brand‑new Crew Dragon capsule C213—this beast's maiden voyage into orbit. Mark your calendars early—liftoff is set for 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, which translates to 12:00 UTC on that Wednesday. For us in India, that's 5:30 p.m. IST, and in Central Europe, it's roughly 2:00 p.m. CET. There's also a backup window on June 12 at 7:37 a.m. ET, but fingers crossed the weather plays along so they can stick with the 11th. Why the date shift? Originally, Ax‑4 was aiming for June 10, but Mother Nature had other plans—stormy forecasts forced a delay. That postponed launch gave NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX extra time for that all‑important L‑8‑hour weather briefing before the ultimate go‑no‑go call. Still, odds are in the mission's favor—forecasters pegged an 80 % chance of good weather for Wednesday. The crew: Dream team of four Ax‑4's crew is a globe‑trotting quartet: Commander Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and Axiom's human‑spaceflight director—so yeah, total boss vibes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Here's What A Walk-In Shower Should Cost Kohler Showers Learn More Undo Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla , a Group Captain from India's Air Force, on track to be the first Indian at the ISS and second Indian in space Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański‑Wiśniewski from Poland. Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Mission highlights (Just in case you're counting) Duration: 14 to 21 days aboard the ISS, including scientific experiments, earth monitoring, and education outreach. Docking: Expected roughly 28 hours post‑launch, around midday UTC—plans are to hook up at the ISS around 12:30 p.m. ET on June 12. Splashdown: After wrapping up, Dragon will return and splash down off the US Pacific coast. Exact date TBD—weather dependent.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Axiom-4: Weather favourable, Shubhanshu Shukla space mission set for liftoff today
THE AXIOM-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others, remained on schedule for a launch at 5.30 pm India time Wednesday, with weather said to be 85 per cent favourable for a lift-off at that time. The mission was earlier scheduled for a launch on Tuesday but had to put off due to bad weather. 'SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, June 11 for Falcon 9's launch of Axiom Space's Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch is targeted for 8:00 am ET (eastern time, 5.30 pm IST), with a backup opportunity available on Thursday, June 12 at 7:37 am ET (5.07 pm IST),' a statement on the website of SpaceX said. The Ax-4 mission is using Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX for the trip to the ISS, the world's largest private space company. At a pre-launch press conference early Tuesday (India time), Jimmy Taeger, Launch Weather Officer at US Space Force, said there were small chances of isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms on the mornings of Wednesday and Thursday in areas near the launch site, but was hopeful that the launch would go through. The astronauts onboard Ax-4 mission, one each from India, Poland, Hungary and the US, will spend two weeks at the ISS, and would be involved in about 60 experiments, scientific studies and outreach programmes. India, Poland and Hungary are sending their first astronauts to space in over 40 years, and the first ones to the space station. 'This mission will launch the first ISRO astronaut to the (International Space) station, enabling joint onboard collaborations between NASA and the Indian space agency. The collaboration delivers on a commitment to send the first Indian astronaut to the station as part of a joint effort between NASA and the Indian space agency and was highlighted by President (Donald) Trump and Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi during the Prime Minister's recent visit to Washington DC last February,' Dana Weigel, Manager, International Space Station Program, at NASA, said at the pre-launch press conference. 'As part of NASA and ISRO collaboration on this upcoming mission, the space agencies are participating in five joint science investigations and two outreach demonstrations. Science investigations include studying microalgae, sprouting salad seeds, tardigrade survival adaptations, muscle repair, and assessing electronic displays,' Weigel said. The mission is being managed and operated by Axiom Space, a private US space company, and has been facilitated by NASA which has been encouraging private participation in human spaceflights to the ISS and low-earth orbits. 'This is a really incredible time for human spaceflight, with more opportunities to access space and to grow and thriving commercial economy around it,' Weigel said. The Ax-4 mission will take 28 hours after the launch to reach and dock with the International Space Station, which orbits the Earth at a distance of about 400 km from the Earth's surface.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Weather still a factor: Last call on Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 launch early today
CAPE CANAVERAL (FLORIDA): The rescheduled launch of Shubhanshu Shukla-piloted Axiom-4 mission remained unchanged at 5.30pm IST on Wednesday after a 'weather call' taken at Kennedy Space Centre on Tuesday (8pm IST). However, the weather continues to be a key variable as the stakeholders will take a final call after the 'L-8 hour weather briefing ', scheduled around midnight in US (around 10am IST). At the mission readiness review briefing, Jimmy Taeger, launch weather officer with 45th Weather Squadron of US Space Force, said conditions across central Florida is being shaped by a high-pressure system to the southeast. The system is expected to move north in the coming days, which could shift the winds and bring in scattered showers. While wind conditions are projected to improve mid-week, forecasters are keeping a close eye on the risk of passing showers, especially as launch windows approach. "Though winds are likely to improve, Wednesday looks better, and Thursday even better. The one thing we are going to be watching closely is the possibility of showers moving into the area," Taeger said. Liquid oxygen leak detected during fire test on Falcon-9 William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX vice-president, build and flight reliability, stressed on the company's continued focus on safety and precision, noting that "space flight is really hard, and we're learning every day". During a static fire test of the Falcon-9, SpaceX engineers discovered a liquid oxygen leak that had initially gone undetected during the booster's post-flight refurbishment. "We discovered that we had not fully repaired the booster ... we're installing a purge that will essentially mitigate the leak if it continues," he said. In addition, a thrust vector control issue with engine five was also identified. The affected components have since been replaced.
