Indian Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla Heads To Quarantine With Crew As Ax-4 Launch Nears
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The four-member crew completed months of rigorous training across Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX facilities to prepare for the 14-day mission to the International Space Station
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Ax-4 crew aboard a Dragon spacecraft to the ISS from the Launch Complex at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 8.
Indian Air Force pilot and astronaut-designate Shubhanshu Shukla and three other crewmates are headed into quarantine as launch preparations begin for the Axiom Mission-4 (Ax-4).
The private collaborative mission with Axiom Space, NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will mark the first time an Indian astronaut will visit the International Space Station (ISS).
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Ax-4 crew aboard a Dragon spacecraft to the ISS from the Launch Complex at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 8, 6:41 pm IST, subject to final review. During the 14-day mission docked to the orbiting laboratory, the astronauts will conduct global outreach activities, microgravity research, and technology demonstrations.
The US-based private space agency Axiom Space organised a ceremonial send-off for the crew ahead of their launch. “The crew is on their way to quarantine. Before they went, Axiom Space employees came together to celebrate. The crew send-off is a tradition that pays tribute to the dedication and tireless efforts of the staff prior to the crew embarking on their mission,” said the agency on Sunday.
Shukla – one of the four astronaut-designates for Gaganyaan, will serve as a pilot on Ax-4 with former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, Peggy Whitson, as commander of the commercial mission.
There will be two mission specialists – ESA Project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary – also on their maiden visit to the ISS. “I am sure this mission will be a success,” said Shukla at the event.
The crew has spent the past several months undergoing intensive training at Axiom Space, NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and SpaceX facilities. This will also be the first government-sponsored flight for India, Poland and Hungary in more than 40 years. So far, cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma holds the record for being the only Indian to travel to space – in 1984 aboard a Russian Soyuz.
“Around Rs 550 crore has been spent on this mission, including the training costs. But the benefit we will get from this mission is phenomenal in terms of the training, exposure to the facilities and the experience of jointly conducting experiments in space,” ISRO chairman Dr V Narayanan had said earlier.
The upcoming commercial mission is part of ISRO’s roadmap to develop a sustainable, sustained human presence in space – beginning with Gaganyaan in the next two years, and setting up of Bhartiya Antriksh Station (BAS) by 2035. It has also shortlisted seven experiments for the 14-day mission, selected from proposals invited from various R&D laboratories across India, and then reviewed by inter-disciplinary experts.
The next key milestone is the Launch Readiness Review, set for June 7. During this review, officials from Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX will assess the readiness of the Falcon 9 rocket, the Dragon spacecraft and the systems aboard the ISS.
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