Kumar Bahukhandi
Shubhanshu Shukla Axiom-4 Mission Docking LIVE: Shubhanshu Shukla, who is the mission pilot, is India’s second astronaut going into space — four decades after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma made history in 1984.
Shubhanshu Shukla Axiom-4 Mission Launch Updates: SpaceX’s Axiom-4 mission, carrying ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, docked at the International Space Station around 4.45 pm IST. The Ax-4 crew successfully lifted off on June 25 into space onboard SpaceX’s Dragon aircraft, after nearly a month of delays and postponements.
Shukla, who is the mission pilot, is India’s second astronaut going into space — four decades after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma made history in 1984. The 39-year-old fighter pilot was chosen by ISRO as the prime astronaut for this historic flight.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the second Indian to journey into space after a 41-year gap, shared a brief moment of camaraderie with fellow Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) astronaut Tibor Kapu of Hungary during a live broadcast.
Jun 26, 2025 17:41 (IST)
What Shubhanshu Shukla Chose As His Launch Anthem
About Axiom-4 Mission: Key Facts
- The crew will complete docking procedures and spend about 14 days aboard the station, conducting some 60 experiments — including studies on microalgae, sprouting salad seeds, and the hardiness of microscopic tardigrades in space.
- Each country is funding its astronaut’s seat. Poland has spent 65 million euros for its astronaut’s flight, according to the Polish Space Agency. Hungary announced a $100 million deal with Axiom in 2022, according to spacenews.com, while India has not officially commented.
June 25 Launch, 1 Space Veterans, 3 Debutants: About Ax-4 Mission
Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, lifted off early Wednesday on June 25, 2025 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a brand-new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule riding a Falcon 9 rocket.
Onboard are pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India; mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary; and Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, a former NASA astronaut now with Axiom Space, which organises private spaceflights.
The capsule, the fifth and final Dragon in the SpaceX fleet, was christened “Grace” after reaching orbit. It made “soft capture” with the orbital lab Thursday at 6:31 am Eastern Time.
What Next?
The Axiom-4 Mission docked on to the International Space Station around 4.45 pm IST. Next, the hatch will be opened around 6.10 pm IST, when the four Axiom-4 astronauts will enter the orbital laboratory.
ISS, Axiom-4 Crew’s Warm Exchange After Docking
ISS Crew Member: “We’re excited to see you. We cannot wait to open the hatch and give you guys a hug?”
Axiom-4’s Peggy Whitson: “We’re looking forward to it.”
Axiom-4 from Houston: “Welcome to the ISS!”
Ms Whitson: “W’re honoured to be here.”
Pic: Axiom-4 Mission Docks On To ISS
Axiom-4 Mission, Carrying ISRO’s Shubhanshu Shukla, Docks At ISS
Axiom-4 Mission, carrying ISRO’s Shubhanshu Shukla, has docked at the International Space Station, 28 hours after launch from the John F Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Most Thrilling Part About Being In Space? India’s 1st Astronaut Shares…
India’s first astronaut Rakesh Sharma said returning to Earth aboard the Soyuz spacecraft was the most thrilling experience of his space travel and for a moment he thought he would not make it back safely.
Sharma said he was not worried about the launch phase of his space journey because everything was controlled by a computer. “The reentry was more thrilling because I thought I wouldn’t make it… That’s when the parachute opens, and there’s a lot of sound inside for which we were unprepared,” he said, recounting the experience of the return journey.
Rakesh Sharma was selected for the Soviet Interkosmos mission in January 1982 and he flew aboard the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 3, 1984. He spent seven days, 21 hours and 40 minutes in the space and returned to Earth on April 11.
Jun 26, 2025 15:40 (IST)
Axiom 4, Shubhanshu Shukla : tears In eyes , Hands Folded : How Mother Saw Shubhanshu’s Space Flight
Tears in her eyes, prayers on her lips, a distraught Asha Shukla stared unblinkingly at a large screen as the Axiom-4 spacecraft headed to the International Space Station with her son, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (39)
Axiom-4 Mission Had Launched Aboard SpaceX Dragon On June 25
Pic: Axiom-4 Mission Vehicle Approaches International Space Station
SpaceX’s Axiom-4 mission, carrying ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, is set to dock at the International Space Station shortly.
Axiom Mission 4 LIVE: When Will Axiom 4 Dock At International Space Station
SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule riding atop a Falcon 9 rocket will dock “autonomously” to the space-facing port of the ISS’s Harmony module at approximately 4:30 pm on Thursday, according to SpaceX.
Crew Dragon To Dock At Space Station on June 26, 2025
Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), carrying India’s Shubhanshu Shukla along with three other private astronauts from Poland, the United States and Hungary, is set to dock at the International Space Station (ISS) at 4.30 pm on Thursday June 26, 2025 .
