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Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to move into quarantine ahead of space travel on June 8
The AX-4 mission will carry four astronauts, including Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, to the International Space Station.
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three other crewmates part of the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station are headed into quarantine, the US-based private space firm announced on Sunday.
The Axiom-4 mission -- a collaborative effort of Axiom Space, NASA, European Space Agency (ESA) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) -- is scheduled for lift-off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida onboard a Dragon spacecraft not earlier than June 8 at 6:41 pm IST.
The Axiom-4 mission will be the first time an Indian astronaut will visit the International Space Station (ISS).
During the 14-day mission docked to the orbiting laboratory, the astronauts will conduct global outreach activities, microgravity research and technology demonstrations.
Also Read | Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission's astronaut-designate Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s mantra is ‘to dream big’
A ceremonial send-off was organised at Axiom Space for the crew ahead of their launch onboard SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket.
"The crew is on their way to quarantine. Before they went, Axiom Space employees came together to celebrate. The crew send-off is a tradition that pays tribute to the dedication and tireless efforts of the staff prior to the crew embarking on their mission," Axiom Space said in a post on X.
Shukla, one of the four astronaut-designates for Gaganyaan, will be the pilot on Ax-4 with former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space Peggy Whitson as commander of the commercial mission.
Also Read | Who is Shubhanshu Shukla, IAF officer set to take India to International Space Station for first time?
"I am sure this mission will be a success," said Shukla at the send-off event.
ISRO has paid ₹550 crore for Shukla to be part of this mission.
Experience gained from this mission is expected to benefit ISRO's Gaganyaan project.
Astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are also part of the Ax-4 mission.
