The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) spacecraft, piloted by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force, is on track to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) ahead of schedule, with autonomous docking expected at 6:18 a.m. EDT (3:48 p.m. IST) on Thursday at the space-facing port of the Harmony module.
Launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 2:31 a.m. EDT on June 25, the Ax-4 crew includes veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, ESA astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), and Group Captain Shukla, who marks a historic milestone as the first ISRO astronaut aboard the ISS.
Once docked, the four-member team will spend up to 14 days conducting scientific research, educational outreach, and commercial initiatives. The mission represents a key collaboration between NASA and ISRO, with a focus on cutting-edge experiments related to muscle regeneration, microalgae cultivation, aquatic microorganism survival, and digital interface adaptation in microgravity.
During a live in-flight session, Group Captain Shukla reflected on the journey: “You’re just floating in the vacuum—it’s absolutely magical. I am deeply grateful for this collective achievement and proud to represent India.”
NASA flight engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers are supervising the automated docking process. Upon arrival, the Ax-4 team will be greeted by the Expedition 73 crew and briefed on station safety protocols.
This mission marks the first space station visit for astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary under Axiom Space’s most research-intensive mission to date.
