Axiom-4 Mission highlights: Shubhanshu Shukla, crew successfully launched towards ISS

Axiom-4 launch highlights: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) on a private mission

12:47 PM

Shubhanshu Shukla's first words after lift off

"Namaskar, my dear countrymen; we have reached space after 41 years. It was a great ride We are orbiting earth at a speed of 7.5 km per second, I have Indian tricolour on my shoulders. Tricolour tells me I am with you all, it is not just the start of my journey to ISS but also of India's human spaceflight.  I want each one of you to be part of this journey, let us embark on India's human space programme," said Shubhanshu Shukla as the Dragon spacecraft began its journey towards the ISS.

12:31 PM

Falcon 9’s first stage booster landed at Landing Zone 1

12:28 PM

Dragon separates from Falcon 9’s second stage

12:14 PM

Shubhanshu Shukla Axiom-4 LIVE update: What Shubhanshu Shukla will do at the ISS

During the 14-day mission, Shubhanshu Shukla will carry out a series of scientific experiments focused on food and nutrition in microgravity. Serving as the mission pilot alongside Commander Peggy Whitson, Shukla’s research is part of a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), and Nasa.

12:08 PM

Shubhanshu Shukla Axiom-4 LIVE news updates: Ax-4 Mission successfully launched

India marked a significant milestone in its space journey on Wednesday as Gaganyaan astronaut-in-training Shubhanshu Shukla launched into orbit as part of the Axiom-4 mission. The lift-off occurred at approximately 12:01 pm IST from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

 

12:01 PM

Axiom-4 Mission LIVE update: Power loading begins, Dragon spacecraft ready for launch

11:58 AM

Shubhanshu Shukla LIVE update: Ax-4 is set for launch

11:56 AM

Axiom-4 Mission LIVE update: 5 minutes to lift off

With Nasa targeting launch for 12:01 PM IST, the crew is expected to take off in the next  5 minutes.

11:51 AM

Axiom-4 Mission LIVE update: Ground operations team doing the final checks before launch

11:37 AM

Dragon’s escape system armed, propellant load underway

Falcon 9 propellant loading is in progress, and the Dragon spacecraft’s escape system has been activated.

11:36 AM

Shubhanshu Shukla Axiom-4 Mission LIVE update: Troubleshooting completed; wind upload completed

At T-53 minute, a SpaceX engineer stated that troubleshooting going on with the wind fire upload of dragon spacecraft. "If we solve the wind upload issue by T-35 mins, we will begin the call for upload," the engineer said.

11:27 AM

Shubhanshu Shukla to script history with journey to ISS

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others boarded the Dragon spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida for their journey to the International Space Station as part of a commercial mission by Axiom Space on Wednesday.

11:09 AM

Shubhanshu Shukla Axiom-4 Mission update: All about the Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket

The Falcon 9 Block 5 is a medium-lift, two-stage launch vehicle developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX to transport crew or cargo into space. It features partial reusability, with its first stage engineered to land safely and be reused, thereby lowering costs and reducing turnaround time.

11:06 AM

What does the mission seek to achieve?

Nasa and Isro are participating in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) demonstrations. Once docked, the private astronauts intend to spend approximately two weeks on the orbiting laboratory, carrying out a mission that includes scientific research, public outreach, and commercial initiatives.

 

10:59 AM

Shubhanshu Shukla, crew members board SpaceX Dragon; Axiom-4 take-off shortly

Shubhanshu Shukla, together with mission commander Peggy Whitson, Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, are set to lift off shortly aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

10:41 AM

US-India space collaboration behind Axiom-4 Mission

The Ax-4 flight is part of a bilateral space initiative announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2023 visit to the US. The Indian government formalised the collaboration through Isro’s agreement with Axiom Space.

10:27 AM

How long will the Axiom-4 crew stay at the ISS?

The Axiom-4 crew is scheduled to stay aboard the International Space Station for a duration of two weeks. This mission is part of Axiom’s broader initiative to advance commercial human spaceflight and foster international collaboration in space research.

 

10:11 AM

Axiom Space starts live-streaming of Axiom-4 Mission

Axiom Space has begun the live-streaming of Axiom-4 Mission on its official channel.

9:57 AM

Shubhanshu Shukla Axiom-4 Mission updates: Return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary

The Axiom-4 mission will mark the return to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, representing each country’s first government-backed crewed mission in over four decades. Although Ax-4 is the second human spaceflight in history for all three nations, it will be their first mission involving a stay aboard the International Space Station.

9:50 AM

Which rocket will transport the four astronauts to the ISS for the Axiom-4 mission?

The four astronauts set for the mission to the International Space Station will be launched aboard SpaceX’s renowned Falcon 9 rocket.

9:43 AM

Axiom-4 Mission to take-off today: Where to watch

The live webcast of the Axiom-4 mission launch is scheduled to begin at 12:30 am ET (10:00 am IST). The launch will be broadcast on the official SpaceX, Nasa, and Axiom Space channels. The docking event is expected to be livestreamed at approximately 2:30 pm IST on 26 June. Read here for more details.

9:33 AM

Shubhanshu Shukla space mission LIVE update: Details on the Axiom-4 Mission

The Axiom-4 mission is the fourth private astronaut expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) and will launch from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Nasa has previously supported three private missions to the ISS under the Axiom Space programme. The first, Ax-1, launched in April 2022 and lasted 17 days. It was followed by Ax-2 in May 2023, during which four private astronauts spent eight days in low Earth orbit. The most recent, Ax-3, launched in January 2024, with its crew spending 18 days aboard the ISS.

9:26 AM

Who are the key members?

The commercial mission will be commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former Nasa astronaut and currently Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight. Isro astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the mission’s pilot. Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, a project astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA) from Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary’s HUNOR programme will take on the roles of mission specialists.

9:21 AM

Axiom Mission LIVE Updates: Who is Shubhanshu Shukla?

Shubhanshu Shukla, born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, completed his schooling at City Montessori School before enrolling in the National Defence Academy. He was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2006 and holds a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. Along with the three other Gaganyaan astronaut designates, Shukla received intensive training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia and ISRO’s Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru.

8:48 AM

Shubhanshu Shukla Axiom Mission LIVE updates: Why was the space mission delayed?

The Axiom-4 mission faced several delays, initially due to unfavourable weather conditions, followed by the discovery of leaks in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and subsequently in a Russian module aboard the International Space Station.