Indian Air Force official Shubhanshu Shukla is ready to make history by piloting the much awaited Axiom-4 (AX-4) mission for the International Space Station (ISS) on 11 June.
According to a NASA statement, Shubhanshu Shukla will pilot the mission of the agency for the ISS on June 11 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 11 June.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Shukla’s hometown of Lucknow is filled with posters wishing a local boy on their space mission.
Why did the AX-4 mission delay?
In a post on 9 June, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said that the mission which was originally to be launched on June 10 (today), has been re -respected on June 11 (Tomoro) due to adverse weather conditions.
“AXIOM-4 Mission for International Space Station Inauguration: Due to weather conditions, the launch of Axiom-4 mission to send Indian Gaganati to the International Space Station has been postponed from 10 June 2025 to 11 June 2025. The launch time is the launch time on 11 June 2025 on 5:30 PM IST.
When and where to see AX-4 Launch Live?
The AX-4 mission is set to launch at ET at 8 am, which is 5.30 PM IST for Indian audience on 11 June. Most live streams will start at least two hours before the launch.
History in making: Shubhanshu Shukla to visit ISS to become Indian first
He would have the distinction of being the first Indian in the history to visit ISS and second Indian in space after a visit of astronaut Rakesh Sharma on the USSR’s Soyuz T -11 mission in 1984.
In particular, Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel in space under the Soviet Intercosmos program.
Now, 41 years later, Shubhanshu Shukla will be part of a four-member crew, including US commander Pegi Whitson, Mission expert Sylawosz Uznański-Wiśnieski’s Poland of Poland and Hungary Mission expert Tibor Kapu. The team will spend 14 days in ISS.
Mission ‘Opening Act’ for India’s space ambitions
Bibi’s report states that this mission marks the “opening act” in the space ambitions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India – with schemes including a crew space mission by 2027, a crude lunar mission by 2030, set up India’s own space station by 2035, and until 2040, an Indian astronaut on the moon’s surface by 2040.
In particular, in 2023, ISRO successfully launched a robotic spacecraft near the south pole of the moon.
