Historic mission for Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla gets go-ahead as SpaceX rolls out Falcon 9
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Historic mission for Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla gets go-ahead as SpaceX rolls out Falcon 9
Historic mission for Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla gets go-ahead as SpaceX rolls out Falcon 9 rocket. The 14-day mission will carry four astronauts from four different countries—India, Poland, Hungary, and the US. The Ax-4 mission is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center on June 10, 2025. The mission marks a historic moment for India as Captain ShubHanshuShukla is set to become the first Indian to pilot the Dragon spacecraft and the second Indian in space, nearly four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic 1984 mission aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule. During their two-week stay on the ISS, the crew will conduct around 60 experiments across 31 countries.
SpaceX rolled out its Falcon 9 rocket to launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center ahead of the Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s historic Axiom Space Ax-4 mission set to launch on June 10.
The Dragon spacecraft, which Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will pilot to the Space Station, has been moved to the launch pad, mounted on top of SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 rocket.
Falcon 9 and Dragon rolled out to pad 39A in Florida earlier today ahead of Tuesdays launch of @Axiom_Spaces Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station pic.twitter.com/IenCNUSYFQ
SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 7, 2025
The Ax-4 mission is scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. The 14-day mission will carry four astronauts from four different countries—India, Poland, Hungary, and the US—to the International Space Station (ISS), in a collaborative effort involving Axiom Space, NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
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The mission marks a historic moment for India as Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become the first Indian to pilot the Dragon spacecraft and the second Indian in space, nearly four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic 1984 mission aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule.
Shukla, who is part of India’s first trained astronaut team, will be accompanied by Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. They will both become the first astronauts from their countries to visit the ISS. Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair will act as Shukla’s backup for the mission.
In a pre-launch media briefing, Shukla said, “I carry not just technical equipment but the hopes and dreams of 1.7 billion Indians. I will be conducting seven scientific experiments that could contribute significantly to our understanding of microgravity and pave the way for future space research.”
He also shared that he would carry artefacts designed by the National Institute of Design (NID) to showcase India’s cultural and creative identity aboard the station.
“In many ways, I see myself as a bridge between Earth and space. This mission is a milestone. I request India to pray for its success. Even stars are attainable. Jai Hind,” Shukla added.
During their two-week stay on the ISS, the Ax-4 crew will conduct around 60 experiments across 31 countries, with Shukla taking the lead on India’s scientific contribution. Notably, he will oversee space nutrition and sustainability research developed by ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with technical support from NASA.
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Among these projects are experiments on cultivating traditional Indian crops, including methi (fenugreek) and moong (green gram) in microgravity—efforts that aim to develop future-ready life support systems for deep space missions.
Shukla will also participate in five joint human research studies led by NASA, focused on adapting the human body and behaviour for extended space travel.