Sci-Tech Desk: Axiom-4 is more than just a regular space mission. It is a significant leap in the commercial spaceflight through international collaboration for nations like India, Hungary, and Poland.
Organized by US based Axiom Space, in partnership with NASA, ISRO, and SpaceX, the Axiom-4 space mission is set to send four astronauts to the International Space Station for groundbreaking scientific research for about 14 days.
This historic mission would be led by US and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson along with India’s Shubhanshu Shukla, Poland’s Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu. All of them will be travelling to the international Space station for the first time from their respective countries. The crew members have also completed a full rehearsal ahead of the liftoff.
Axiom-4 aims to explore a sustainable life support system for future space explorations by carrying out more than 60 scientific experiments and demonstrations across multiple fields including Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences.
It is especially important for India because its astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla would be the pilot of the mission. If the mission is successful, he would become the first Indian after Rakesh Sharma to travel to the space.
The mission was set for a launch on 11 June 2025 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. Even though, it faced a delay due to a technical error in relation to oxygen leak in the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket, the primary goal remains crystal clear and is set to be watershed moment in space exploration through multi-national colloboration.
The live launch video can be streamed through the official website of SpaceX on the date of the launch.
Sources: spacex.com, nasa.gov, @SpaceX/X
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