&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "HIGHLIGHTS | Axiom 4 Mission Landing: Shubhanshu Shukla makes first remarks on ISS, says 'been a wonderful ride'")
Shubhanshu Shukla, Axiom 4 Mission Live Updates: Wednesday (Jun 25) saw the launch of a US commercial mission to the International Space Station, with astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary aboard—a first for these nations in decades. Called the Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, the spacecraft was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 2:31 am (0631 GMT), with a brand-new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule riding atop a Falcon 9 rocket.
The vehicle is scheduled to dock with the orbital lab today (Thursday, Jun 26) at approximately 1100 GMT (1630 IST) and remain there for up to 14 days.
Who are the astronauts aboard the Axiom-4 mission?
Aboard the spacecraft are pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India; mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary; and commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, a former NASA astronaut who now works for the company Axiom Space.
Shubhanshu Shukla becomes first Indian in space in 40 years
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has become the first Indian to reach space in 40 years and the first Indian astronaut to pilot a private mission to the ISS, where he will play a crucial role.
Shukla will conduct experiments, support international research, and engage with Indian students during the Axiom-4 mission.
Stay connected to WION for all the LIVE updates of the Axiom 4 Mission
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla says a privilege to be astronaut number 634.
“It is a privilege to get a chance to see the earth from a vantage point. It has been a wonderful ride. It has been great. I was looking forward to come to space. It is something to look forward to. But the minute I entered the International Space Station… this crew (points at the Expedition-73 crew already aboard the ISS) made me feel so welcome. You literally opened the doors to your house for us. It was fantastic. I feel even better. Whatever expectations I had before coming here were surpassed by the view, of course — that’s a big part of it — but you guys as well. So, thank you so much," he said.
“This was fantastic. This was wonderful and I am very confident that the next 14 days are going to be amazing doing — as you said — advancing science and research and working together. Thank you so much.”
Expedition 73 astronauts welcome Ax-4 crew to ISS. Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson said, “We appreciate being invited in and you guys are exceptional host. We look forward to getting a lot of work done with you guys.”
Axiom-4 crew has entered the International Space Station. The ISS crew welcomes Shubhanshu Shukla, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, Tibor Kapu, and Peggy Whitson aboard ISS.
Hatch is open between the ISS and the Dragon capsule. The astronauts will soon enter the space station.
The passage between the ISS and the capsule is exposed to space vacuum. Before opening the hatch, the astronauts ensure that the pressure between the capsule and the space station is brought to normal. The crew aboard the ISS also ensure there is no leakage before proceeding to open the hatch.
The hatch opening procedure is underway. The hatch will open shortly, after which the Axiom-4 crew can enter the International Space Station.
The connection has been established between the Dragon crew capsule and the space station. The crew aboard the ISS is expected to formally welcome the Axiom-4 crew around 8:35 am CT (7:05 pm IST).
The docking of the SpaceX Dragon capsule has been completed. The four astronauts aboard are now taking their spacesuit off and will enter the space station shortly.
SpaceX confirms docking of the Dragon capsule with the Axiom-4 crew at the ISS. The astronauts are now conducting final checks. The hatch opening process will begin shortly after which the astronauts will enter the ISS.
SpaceX launched Axiom Space's Ax-4 mission on June 25, and with it India once again entered history books as IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is one of the crew members onboard.
NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson and two others - Poland's Tibor Kapu and Hungary's Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, acting as mission specialists - are on the Dragon capsule taking them to the International Space Station. It lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center atop the Falcon 9 rocket.
Right before the Dragon spacecraft was about to separate from Falcon 9's second stage, Whitson gave a speech and announced the name of the Dragon spacecraft her crew was aboard.
She revealed that it was named "Grace", detailing why the name was chosen. "We had an incredible ride uphill, and we now set our course for the International Space Station aboard the newest member of the Dragon fleet — our spacecraft, 'Grace.'
Grace is more than a name," Whitson said. The veteran revealed that the name held double significance - the graceful movement, and "grace", as in "an act of goodwill."
India's space agency, ISRO, sees this flight as a key stepping stone toward its own maiden crewed mission, planned for 2027 under the Gaganyaan program, meaning "sky craft."
In a message sent just after liftoff, Shukla, in Hindi, said, "What a fantastic ride…This isn't just the start of my journey to the International Space Station – it's the beginning of India's human space program."
With this mission, Shubhanshu Shukla has become the first Indian in space since Rakesh Sharma, an air force pilot who travelled to the Salyut 7 space station in 1984 as part of a Soviet-led initiative to help allied countries access space.
Aboard the spacecraft are pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India; mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary; and commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, a former NASA astronaut who now works for the company Axiom Space.