Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Set to Launch to International Space Station Tomorrow

New Delhi (IANS): Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is poised to make history as the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS), with his launch scheduled for Tuesday. Described as a “journey to inspire an entire generation,” Shukla’s mission marks a milestone for India’s presence in human space exploration.

After facing two previous delays, the US-based Axiom Space is now ready to launch Mission-4 (Ax-4) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 10 at 8:22 a.m. ET (5:52 p.m. IST), aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

While Shukla will be the first Indian aboard the ISS, he will become the second Indian to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma, who flew to the Soviet space station Salyut 7 in 1984.

In a recent press conference, Shukla expressed strong confidence in the success of Mission-4. Speaking to IANS earlier in March, he shared his hope that his journey will inspire young Indians to pursue careers in the space sector, just as he was once inspired by Rakesh Sharma.

Shukla, who holds the rank of Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, will serve as pilot on the mission alongside American commander Peggy Whitson. The other crew members are mission specialists S?awosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

During his time aboard the ISS, Shukla is expected to carry out specialized food and nutrition experiments. These experiments are a joint effort between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA. The focus is on advancing space nutrition and developing self-sustaining life support systems, essential for long-term space missions.

One key study will examine how microgravity and space radiation affect edible microalgae—nutrient-dense organisms considered crucial for future space diets. Researchers will analyze changes in the growth, gene expression, protein activity, and metabolic processes of algae in space compared to conditions on Earth.

Axiom Space has also confirmed its readiness for the mission. The Ax-4 crew and SpaceX teams recently completed a full launch rehearsal. A backup launch window is available on June 11 at 8:00 a.m. ET (5:30 p.m. IST), should the initial launch be postponed.

Mission Ax-4 marks Axiom Space’s second commercial flight to the ISS and features a crew composed entirely of astronauts sponsored by government agencies and the European Space Agency (ESA).

The crew is set to conduct around 60 scientific studies and research projects involving contributions from 31 countries, including India, the United States, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE, and several European nations.

With inputs from IANS