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ISRO’s Shubhanshu Shukla: Ax-4 crew completes final rehearsal ahead of June 10 SpaceX launch

ISRO’s Shubhanshu Shukla: Ax-4 crew completes final rehearsal ahead of June 10 SpaceX launch

ISRO’s Shubhanshu Shukla: Ax-4 crew completes final rehearsal ahead of June 10 SpaceX launch Photograph: (SpaceX)

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ISRO’s Shubhanshu Shukla and Ax-4 crew completed the final rehearsal for the Ax-4 mission, launching on June 10 from Kennedy Space Center. The crew will fly aboard SpaceX’s Dragon to the ISS for around 60 scientific experiments, marking India’s return to human spaceflight after 40 years.

Indian astronaut completes launch rehearsal with Ax-4 crew ahead of June 10 spaceflight

Final checks complete for AX-4 mission

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and the Ax-4 crew have completed their final launch rehearsal ahead of their space journey. confirmed by SpaceX in a recent post on X. The mission, organised by Axiom Space is scheduled to launch on 10 June from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Ahead of the liftoff, the team conducted a full-dress rehearsal with SpaceX, including a static fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket. The test is a key part of the pre-launch process and was completed without issue. Engineers are now reviewing data and tracking weather conditions to ensure safe and optimal launch conditions.

This mission marks India’s return to human spaceflight after more than 40 years, since Rakesh Sharma’s historic mission in 1984.

Shubhanshu Shukla to serve as pilot for AX-4

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the pilot on the Ax-4 mission, joining a multinational crew. The team includes Peggy Whitson from the United States as commander, Tibor Kapu from Hungary, and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, both serving as mission specialists.

The astronauts will travel aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The Dragon capsule arrived at Launch Pad 39A’s hangar earlier this week in preparation for its first flight. The crew will head to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Axiom’s fourth private astronaut mission. earlier launch was scheduled for 8 June but was moved to 10 June to allow additional time for systems checks. The Dragon spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS on 11 June around 10 PM IST, following a journey of nearly 28 hours.

International mission to conduct around 60 experiments

Once aboard the ISS, the Ax-4 crew will carry out nearly 60 scientific experiments. These include studies on human health, Earth observation, and material sciences. The mission involves collaborations with institutions from 31 countries, making it one of the most globally diverse spaceflights.

As India watches with pride, Shukla’s participation in the Ax-4 mission has reignited national interest in human spaceflight and reflects the country’s growing role in international space missions.

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