Shubhanshu Shukla Set for Launch—Axiom‑4 Mission Glitch Fixed Ahead of Liftoff

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): After multiple delays, India’s Shubhanshu Shukla is finally set to embark on a historic space mission to the International Space Station (ISS) early Wednesday morning. Part of the prestigious Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), Shukla will serve as the mission pilot on a commercial spaceflight carrying four astronauts, launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The liftoff is scheduled for 2:31 am local time (6:31 am GMT) from Launch Complex 39A, with favorable weather conditions currently at 90 per cent.

The mission will be carried out using a brand-new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule mounted atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS on Thursday around 11:00 am GMT and will remain stationed there for up to 14 days, during which the crew will conduct a series of scientific and technological experiments.

Shubhanshu Shukla, a 39-year-old fighter pilot, marks a proud moment for India as he becomes the second Indian to journey into space, following in the footsteps of Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who made history in 1984. Selected by ISRO for this landmark mission, Shukla’s participation in Ax-4 places India once again on the global spaceflight map with growing international collaboration in commercial space exploration.