After several delays, the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission successfully launched at 2:31 a.m. Eastern Time (12:01 p.m. IST) on Wednesday. Onboard was Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who became the first Indian in 40 years to travel to space. Joining him were mission commander and veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson (USA), Polish engineer Sławosz Uznański, and Hungarian researcher Tibor Kapu.
Shukla, serving as the mission’s designated pilot, is only the second Indian to travel to space and the first to hold a key operational role on an International Space Station (ISS) mission.
Ahead of the launch, Shukla had expressed his hopes, saying, “Even stars are attainable,” and emphasized that he carries not just equipment, but the “hopes and dreams of a billion hearts.”
The mission lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew is now en route to the ISS aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, with docking scheduled for around 7:00 a.m. ET (4:30 p.m. IST) on Thursday, June 26.
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This launch follows evaluations by NASA and Roscosmos regarding recent repairs in the Zvezda module’s transfer tunnel. Based on the assessments, both agencies agreed to lower the tunnel’s pressure to 100 mmHg for safety, which remains a top priority.
“Nasa and Roscosmos have a strong history of collaboration on the ISS. This trusted partnership allowed for a shared technical solution, enabling the Ax-4 launch and docking to proceed,” said acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro.
NASA is overseeing integrated operations for this mission — from the Dragon’s approach to the ISS, through the crew’s stay involving scientific, educational, and commercial activities, to their eventual departure.
Though launch and capsule separation were successful, Dragon’s journey to the ISS involves a series of orbital adjustments over the next 24 to 28 hours. These thruster maneuvers will fine-tune its trajectory to align with the station’s orbit for docking.
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