Indian Astronaut Embarks on Axiom-4 Journey to the ISS

Union Minister Jitendra Singh provided vital updates regarding the highly anticipated Axiom-4 mission, which sees Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla preparing for launch. The private aerospace expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to lift off around 12:01 pm IST today, according to Singh's post on social media platform X.

The mission targets a launch window of 2:31 a.m. EDT or noon IST from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to propel the crew aboard a new Dragon spacecraft. Estimated docking at the ISS is projected for 7 am EDT Thursday or 4 pm IST.

Led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, the Axiom-4 crew includes ESA project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Hungarian scientist Tibor Kapu. This mission signifies a return to human space voyages for India, Poland, and Hungary, each participating in government-backed spaceflights for the first time in over 40 years.

(With inputs from agencies.)