Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s space mission postponed till June 10

Axiom Space’s mission to the International Space Station, carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, has been pushed to June 10, PTI reported, citing an Axiom Space spokesperson.

The space flight was earlier scheduled for lift-off onboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 8. The mission, however, has been postponed by two days.

Captain Shukla is part of the first team of Indian astronauts trained for human spaceflight, with Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair serving as his designated backup.

Besides Shukla, the mission pilot for the Axiom-4 mission, the other crew members include Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, marking both European nations’ first travel to the International Space Station in history and the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years.

Veteran US astronaut Peggy Whitson will be the commander of the Axiom-4 mission.

The Axe-4 mission, managed by Axiom Space and launched via SpaceX Falcon 9, is a landmark for India’s first astronaut-scientist-led space biology experiments onboard the ISS.

What’s the mission?

Once docked, the astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting science, outreach, and commercial activities.

The Ax-4 astronauts will perform around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries during their 14-day stay at the ISS.

Shukla is set to conduct exclusive food and nutrition-related experiments developed under a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA.

About his role in the mission, Captain Shukla said he planned to take certain items from different parts of the country with him to the ISS during the 14-day mission and even expressed hope to serve Indian food to astronauts in the orbital laboratory.

He said the experience on the Axiom Mission 4 would be very well utilised on the Gaganyaan mission, which is planned for 2027. ISRO is spending ₹550 crore on the Axiom-4 mission.

The experiments aim to pioneer space nutrition and self-sustaining life support systems vital for future long-duration space travel.