New Delhi, June 25 – India marked a significant milestone in its space journey as Indian Air Force Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla was launched to the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission. The launch took place from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with Shukla and three other astronauts setting off on a private space expedition organized by Axiom Space.
As per agency report, the launch was executed successfully, and shortly after liftoff, the American space agency NASA confirmed the mission's progress via social media. The mission lifted off at 2:31 a.m. Eastern Time on June 25, which corresponds to 12:01 p.m. Indian Standard Time. The Axiom-4 crew is scheduled to spend approximately 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory.
SpaceX, which facilitated the launch using its Falcon 9 rocket, confirmed that the Dragon spacecraft separated successfully from the rocket’s second stage. NASA also acknowledged the spacecraft’s separation, indicating that the crew was now independently en route to the space station aboard the Dragon capsule, bringing them one step closer to their destination.
During this 14-day mission, Shubhanshu Shukla will conduct advanced food and nutrition-related experiments, developed under a joint collaboration between India's Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and NASA. These scientific experiments are expected to contribute valuable data toward future long-duration space missions.
Back in India, the moment was deeply emotional for Shukla’s family. His parents, watching the live broadcast of the launch from their home in Lucknow, were seen celebrating the occasion. His mother was moved to tears as she witnessed her son’s ascent into space, a proud moment for the family and the country alike.
