Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission to the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to be launched on May 29 2025 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Group Captain Shukla would be the pilot of the Axiom-4 mission (Ax-4) and the launch is focused no sooner than 1:03 p.m. EDT (Eastern Day Time) on May 29, NASA introduced on Tuesday.
The Axiom Mission 4 crew will likely be launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the ISS and can spend up to 14 days on the orbiting laboratory.
Group Captain Shukla, who can also be one of many 4 astronaut-designates chosen for Gaganyaan mission of ISRO, will change into the primary Indian astronaut to go to the ISS, and the primary Indian to go to space within the final 40 years.
Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the industrial mission, European Space Agency challenge astronauts Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary are additionally a part of the crew.
Axiom Space stated that the Ax-4 analysis complement contains round 60 scientific research and actions representing 31 nations, together with the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations throughout Europe.
Axiom Space on Tuesday in a press convention shared particulars on the experiments, microgravity analysis, and know-how demonstrations that will likely be part of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4).
ISRO has already shortlisted seven microgravity analysis experiments proposed by Indian Principal Investigators (PIs) from varied nationwide R&D laboratories and tutorial establishments for implementation on the ISS.
“On our maiden mission to the ISS we have as set of experiments being investigated by some of the leading academic institutions and research labs from India the experiments range from search of growth of microalgae and cyanobacteria to muscle regeneration experiments, sprouting in space, studying resilience of tardigrades, seeds experiment and human computer interactions in space,” stated Tushar Phadnis, Group Head for Microgravity Platforms and Research, ISRO.
Replying to a question on why three of India’s seven experiments are associated to meals
Mr. Phadnis stated, “ISRO would like to explore specifically India centric food for example we have a sprouting experiment to sprout green gram or moong and Fenugreek which is believed to have medicinal properties.”
Published – April 30, 2025 12:45 am IST
