Axion Space Mission astronauts: Peggy Whitson Commander (US), Shubhanshu Shukla, Pilot (India), Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, Mission Specialist (Poland) & Tibor Kapu, Mission Specialist (Hungary).
Launch : June 11, 2025 8:00 AM — Docking: une 12, 2025 12:30 PM — Duration: Up to 14 days docked to the ISS
SHUBHANSHU SHUKLA – Profile
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a distinguished pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF), has been handpicked as one of the four astronauts for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) historic Gaganyaan mission—the nation’s inaugural human space flight endeavor.
Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, Shukla possesses fluency in both English and his native Hindi. His journey began when he was commissioned into the IAF fighter wing in June 2006. As a combat leader and seasoned test pilot, he boasts an impressive 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. His ascent to the rank of group captain in March 2024 reflects his exceptional contributions.
In 2019, Shukla received a momentous call from ISRO. He embarked on rigorous training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow, Russia—a year-long preparation that would shape his destiny. On February 27, 2024, Indian PM Narendra Modi unveiled Shukla as one of the elite astronauts undergoing intensive training for India’s maiden human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, scheduled for launch in 2025.
Shukla is honored and excited as he prepares to pilot the historic Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS), leaving an indelible mark on India’s remarkable advancements in human space exploration.
Axiom Mission 4
The Ax-4 mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries’ second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station. This historic mission underscores how Axiom Space is redefining the pathway to low-Earth orbit and elevating national space programs globally.
Lunch
The Ax-4 crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station from LC-39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on June 10 at 8:22 a.m. ET
The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe. This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date, underscoring the mission’s global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO). The mission emphasizes scientific portfolios led by the U.S., India, Poland (in partnership with ESA), and Hungary. It aims to boost participation in these countries by involving diverse stakeholders, showcasing the value of microgravity research, and fostering international collaboration. The studies will enhance global knowledge in human research, Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences, demonstrating the space research capabilities of the crew’s home nations.
According to theguardian.com, “New Delhi has paid more than $60m for the mission, according to Indian media reports.'” And, “He will be the third astronaut of Indian origin to reach orbit, following Rakesh Sharma, who was part of a 1984 flight onboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft, and Kalpana Chawla, who was born in India but became a US citizen and flew on two space shuttle missions, including the 2003 Columbia flight that ended in disaster when the spacecraft disintegrated, killing all seven astronauts onboard.”
Sources – Axion Space & theguardian.com, 10 June, 2025.
