Indian Air Force's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is poised to make history as the first Indian astronaut to journey to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. This milestone is part of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), as announced by NASA in a recent update. The launch is set to take place from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Serving as the astronaut designate and Mission Pilot, Shukla will be joined by former NASA astronaut and mission commander Peggy Whitson, Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu.
With over 2,000 flight hours under his belt, Shukla is also a key player in India’s ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight program. Additionally, Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair has been designated as an astronaut who will step in for Shukla if necessary.
Ax-4, which is the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS, is scheduled for launch from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. The astronauts will fly aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft lifted by a Falcon 9 rocket, marking a significant journey to the space station. During the 14-day mission, they will engage in scientific experiments, educational outreach, and commercial activities in microgravity. Shubhanshu Shukla has plans to promote India’s rich cultural heritage by carrying artefacts from various regions and performing yoga poses in space.
This collaboration between NASA, Axiom Space, and ISRO represents an important advancement in private astronaut access to low Earth orbit, paving the way for sustainable space exploration. Axiom Space, based in Houston, Texas, is dedicated to developing commercial human spaceflight and building the world’s first commercial space station, Axiom Station, aimed at driving innovation and research in low-Earth orbit.
In other news, SpaceX launched the Fram2 mission from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:16 AM on April 1 (IST). This mission is notable as the first of its kind and utilised a Falcon rocket and Crew Dragon capsule to transport four astronauts on a journey over Earth’s poles.
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