SpaceX is prepared for the Axiom-4 mission, which includes Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, set to launch today at 12:01 PM (IST). SpaceX has reported that all systems are functioning well, with a target launch time of 2:31 a.m. EDT (12:01 PM IST) on Wednesday. Axiom-4 is the fourth private mission to the International Space Station.
The launch is scheduled from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. SpaceX announced on X that the weather conditions are 90% favorable for liftoff. The launch can be viewed live on SpaceX’s X and NASA’s YouTube channel.
The initial launch date of June 11 was delayed to June 19 due to inspection issues, and subsequently pushed to June 25. The Ax-4 crew includes representatives from India, Poland, and Hungary. This mission marks the first time these nations will have astronauts on the ISS. The mission will undertake approximately 60 research studies involving 31 countries. The research is intended to be one of the most extensive science-related activities for an Axiom Space mission aboard the ISS.
Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force Test Pilot and Astronaut from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, is a part of the mission. He was influenced by the 1999 Kargil War and later joined the National Defence Academy, graduating in 2005 with a degree in Computer Science.