Axiom Space to Launch Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to ISS on June 19: ISRO

New Delhi: US-based private space company Axiom Space is scheduled to send Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 19, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Saturday.

Originally slated for June 11, the launch of the Ax-04 mission was delayed multiple times due to technical concerns, including a leak in the Zvezda Service Module of the ISS, detected during a pre-launch test in its propulsion bay.

ISRO confirmed that Axiom Space, in close coordination with NASA, is actively addressing the pressure anomaly in the Zvezda module. Additionally, a liquid oxygen leak in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle, initially flagged during preparations, has now been fully resolved.

“Following a coordination meeting between ISRO, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, it has been confirmed that the issues have been addressed, and the mission is now targeting June 19, 2025, for launch,” ISRO stated.

This mission marks a historic moment for India, as Shubhanshu Shukla becomes the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS, and only the second Indian to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma's historic flight in 1984.

Shukla will serve as pilot of the mission, led by Commander Peggy Whitson of the US. The crew also includes Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both serving as mission specialists.

During his time aboard the ISS, Shukla will carry out cutting-edge experiments focused on space nutrition and food sustainability, developed in collaboration between ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with NASA’s support.

One key focus will be studying the impact of microgravity and space radiation on microalgae, a nutrient-rich food source with potential for long-duration space missions. The research will analyze growth metrics and investigate transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic changes in algal species in space compared to those on Earth.

With inputs from IANS