The Axiom-4 mission, which marks India’s major return to crewed spaceflight, has been delayed once again—this time due to unfavorable weather conditions in the ascent corridor. Originally slated for June 10, the launch is now scheduled for 5:30 PM on June 11, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force will pilot the mission, making him only the second Indian astronaut in history to reach space after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic flight in 1984. The Axiom-4 crew also includes astronauts from the United States, Poland, and Hungary, making it a symbol of global cooperation in space.
The mission is a collaborative effort between Axiom Space, NASA, SpaceX, and ISRO. It will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the new Dragon spacecraft. Once in orbit, the crew will spend approximately 14 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), conducting over 60 scientific experiments—including seven developed by Indian scientists.
These experiments will explore crop behavior in space, analyze microalgae, and study extremophiles like tardigrades to better understand life sciences and material durability in microgravity. ISRO confirmed that the delay was caused by strong winds, but emphasized that the mission remains a cornerstone in India’s space advancement.
Captain Shukla, trained in Russia’s Star City, will be joined by Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Each astronaut represents a historic milestone: Uznanski will be Poland’s second astronaut since 1978, and Kapu will be Hungary’s second since 1980.
Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the mission, further extending her record as the American astronaut with the most cumulative days in space. Axiom-4 is notable not just for its international crew but also for marking a rare government-sponsored human spaceflight effort, underscoring the importance of public-private collaboration in exploring the final frontier.
With anticipation building and the launch just one day away, Axiom-4 is poised to become a landmark in India’s space history, showcasing innovation, international unity, and the promise of scientific discovery beyond Earth.
