The Axiom-4 mission, with Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, is scheduled to launch today at 12:01 PM (IST). SpaceX confirmed that all systems are ready for liftoff, in coordination with NASA and Axiom Space, with a target launch time of 2:31 a.m. EDT (12:01 PM IST) on Wednesday. This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Launch will occur from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. According to SpaceX, the weather is 90% favorable for liftoff. The public can watch the launch live on SpaceX’s X and NASA’s YouTube channel.
The launch was postponed from its original date of June 11, then June 19, and is now planned for June 25. The Ax-4 crew is composed of astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary, making it the first time for each nation to have a presence on the ISS. It represents the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years.
The research component of the mission includes about 60 scientific studies and activities, encompassing 31 countries including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, and various European nations. This mission is planned to be one of the most science-driven activities on an Axiom Space mission to date.
Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force Test Pilot and Astronaut, is from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He was inspired by the Kargil War and joined the National Defence Academy, graduating in 2005 with a degree in Computer Science.