Space odyssey: India's Shubhanshu Shukla pilots Axiom-4 mission; crew embarks on science-packed journey

The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission was finally launched at 12.01pm (IST), after several postponements. Aboard the mission is India’s group captain Shubhanshu Shukla, along with veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson from the US (serving as commander), Polish engineer Sławosz Uznański, and Hungarian researcher Tibor Kapu. (Image credits: AP)

The four-member crew lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket from launch complex 39A at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They are travelling in a new SpaceX Dragon capsule, designated C213, which will take approximately 28 hours to reach the International Space Station (ISS), with a targeted docking time of 7am Eastern (4.30pm IST) on June 26. (Image credits: AP)

The Ax-4 crew is scheduled to carry out more than 60 science experiments during their mission, including seven from India. These experiments will focus on areas such as metabolic diseases, the effects of microgravity on muscle and plant growth, microbial behavior, cognitive function and materials testing. Researchers from over 30 countries have contributed to the payload. (Image credits: ANI)

This launch comes after Nasa and Roscosmos officials reviewed recent repair work in the Zvezda service module’s transfer tunnel on the ISS. To ensure safety, they decided to reduce the pressure in the tunnel to 100mm of mercury and continue monitoring the situation. Nasa emphasised that crew safety remains a top priority. (Image credits: ANI)

Once in orbit, the Dragon capsule's journey to the ISS is not direct. Over the next 24 to 28 hours, the spacecraft will execute several engine burns using onboard thrusters to align its orbit with that of the space station before docking. (Image credits: ANI)

Group captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force test pilot, is the designated pilot of Ax-4. He is the second Indian to travel to space and the first to take on a critical operational role aboard an ISS mission. His inclusion marks an important step in India’s broader goal of gaining spaceflight experience ahead of the Gaganyaan crewed mission. (Image credits: ANI)

Shukla’s preparation involved months of intensive training with Axiom Space, Nasa, ESA and SpaceX, in addition to prior work at Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre. His aviation experience includes more than 2,000 flying hours as a test pilot. (Image credits: AP)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the crew and highlighted Shukla’s historic achievement. “He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians," he tweeted, also wishing success to the rest of the Ax-4 team — Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański, and Tibor Kapu. (Image credits: AP)