Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 mission is likely to launch on June 19, says ISRO
His mission was earlier put on indefinite delay due to an issue related to a leak at the International Space Station.
India's Shubhanshu Shukla, along with three other astronauts, is scheduled to travel to the ISS as part of the Axiom-4 commercial mission on June 19, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Saturday.
His mission was earlier put on indefinite delay due to an issue related to a leak at the International Space Station. NASA announced on Thursday that it was examining a leak onboard the ISS's Russian module.
The astronauts were originally scheduled for lift-off on May 29, which was put off to June 8, June 10 and June 11, when SpaceX, the providers of the launch rocket and the space capsule, detected a liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon-9 rocket.
Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, Peggy Whitson, will command the commercial mission, while Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot.
The two mission specialists are European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Overview of the Axiom-4 mission
The Axiom-4 mission will mark India's return to space 41 years after Rakesh Sharma's historic spaceflight onboard Russia's Soyuz mission in 1984.
"The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 12:30 p.m.EDT (10:00 p.m. IST), Wednesday, June 11," NASA said in a statement.
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During the 14-day stay at the ISS, the Ax-4 crew is expected to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, school students, and space industry leaders, among others.
Significance of the Axiom-4 mission for India
Shukla is set to conduct exclusive food and nutrition-related experiments developed under a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA.
Shukla will also expose the seeds to the macrobiotic conditions and bring them back to earth, where they will be cultivated into plants not just once but over generations.
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ISRO has lined up a set of seven experiments for Shukla, who will also participate in five joint studies planned by NASA for its human research program.
Shukla's experience on the Axiom Mission 4 would be very well utilised on the ISRO's Gaganyaan space flight mission, which is planned for 2027. ISRO is spending ₹550 crore on the Axiom-4 mission.
Meet Axiom-4 mission astronauts
Former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, Peggy Whitson, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the pilot.
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The two mission specialists are European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
The 14-day mission will "realise the return" to human spaceflight for India, Poland and Hungary.
