Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force, along with his team, is set to embark on a space journey from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in the USA on June 10th. This mission is being conducted under the Ax-4 (Axiom-4) program.
New Delhi: A new golden chapter is about to be added to India's space history. Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is soon to fly into space. Under the joint Ax-4 mission of NASA and Axiom Space, Shubhanshu will launch from the Kennedy Space Center in the USA on June 10th and dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on June 11th. The success of this mission will elevate India's global space participation to new heights.
Shubhanshu's Space Journey: Launch on June 10th, ISS Docking on June 11th
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Shubhanshu Shukla and his team will launch on June 10th. This rocket will carry a new Dragon spacecraft into space, which will dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on June 11th at 12:30 PM US time, approximately 10:00 PM Indian Standard Time.
The launch was originally scheduled for June 8th, but was postponed to June 10th due to weather conditions and technical preparations. Shubhanshu will serve as the pilot for this mission, while overall command will be in the hands of veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson.
Who will be participating in the space mission?
The Ax-4 mission will include a total of four astronauts:
- Peggy Whitson (Commander, USA)
- Shubhanshu Shukla (Pilot, India)
- Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Mission Specialist, Poland)
- Tibor Káplár (Mission Specialist, Hungary)
This mission will be SpaceX's 53rd Dragon mission and will involve significant experiments related to science, medicine, and technology.
12 Crucial Scientific Experiments on the ISS
Upon reaching space, Shubhanshu will conduct a total of 12 experiments:
- 7 experiments have been developed by Indian academic and research institutions. These primarily include experiments related to life sciences, biological responses in microgravity, and materials science.
- 5 experiments will be conducted in collaboration with NASA, focusing on the effects of space travel on the human body, including heart rate, nervous system, and immune system.
- These experiments will not only expand the possibilities of human life in space but also provide crucial data for the Gaganyaan mission.
Historic Contribution to India's Space Policy
Shubhanshu Shukla is one of the four selected astronauts for India's Gaganyaan human mission. This Ax-4 mission marks his first space journey, providing invaluable experience before Gaganyaan. The Indian government has so far spent ₹548 crore on this mission, including training for Shubhanshu and his backup, Group Captain Prashant Nair, and other mission-related expenses.
This mission is part of the India-US space cooperation announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2023 visit to the United States. The recent controversy between former US President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has garnered international media attention. However, both NASA and the Indian government have clarified that this controversy will not affect the Ax-4 mission. All mission preparations are complete, and Shubhanshu's flight faces no jeopardy.
