Axiom Mission 4: Historic Docking and Diverse Astronaut Crew

The International Space Station is preparing for the docking of Axiom Mission 4, an astronaut mission featuring a diverse crew. The Dragon spacecraft is on track to autonomously dock ahead of schedule at 6:18 a.m. EDT (3:48 p.m. IST) on Thursday at the space-facing port of the station's Harmony module.

The crew, including former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, and ESA astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu, launched aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre. This mission sees the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary onboard the ISS, highlighting global collaboration.

Once docked, the astronauts will spend approximately two weeks engaging in scientific experiments, outreach, and commercial activities. Notably, it's the first time an ISRO astronaut has participated in an ISS mission. In a live interaction, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, mission pilot, described the launch as 'magical' and recognized the mission's collaborative nature.

'I am thrilled to be here, a testament to the dedication of all involved,' Shukla said. The Ax-4 mission will involve cutting-edge research on muscle regeneration, growth of edible microalgae, aquatic microorganisms' survival, and human interaction with digital displays in microgravity.

NASA Flight Engineers are overseeing Dragon's automatic docking procedures. The Ax-4 crew's arrival marks Axiom Space's most research-intensive mission, fostering scientific advancements through the partnership between NASA and ISRO.

(With inputs from agencies.)