Axiom-4 Mission Carrying Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Set to Dock at ISS Today

The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, carrying Indian Air Force Group Captain and ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, June 26. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft lifted off successfully on June 25 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, following weeks of delays and rescheduling.

The docking is expected to occur around 7:00 AM EST (4:30 PM IST), according to NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX. The spacecraft will autonomously connect to the space-facing port of the ISS’s Harmony module.

Shubhanshu Shukla, also known as “Shux” among his team, is serving as the pilot on this mission. He will be responsible for monitoring the spacecraft’s trajectory, orbital parameters, and the ISS’s position as Dragon approaches for docking.

Shukla is part of a four-member international crew that includes:

• Commander Peggy Whitson (USA), a veteran NASA astronaut

• Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Winiéwski (Poland)

• Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu (Hungary)

Once docked, the Ax-4 crew will begin their 14-day mission, during which they will conduct around 60 microgravity experiments. Shukla is scheduled to lead seven of these, covering scientific, technological, and educational objectives.

NASA also confirmed that five joint investigations with ISRO are part of the mission, including two in-orbit STEM demonstrations. These experiments are expected to advance scientific knowledge in areas like biology, space medicine, and material science, while also fostering international collaboration in space research.