Ax-4 crew completes launch rehearsal ahead of historic mission featuring India’s Shubhanshu Shukla

WASHINGTON: The Ax-4 crew and SpaceX teams have successfully completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities ahead of their scheduled liftoff on Tuesday, June 10, SpaceX said in a post on their official X (formerly Twitter) handle.

“The Ax-4 crew and SpaceX teams completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities ahead of liftoff on Tuesday”, SpaceX stated.

Representing India is Ax-4 mission pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, announced by Axiom Space on their X handle, alongside acknowledgement from ISRO.

The mission is targeted for launch at 8:22 am ET on Tuesday, June 10, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The International Space Station also acknowledged the upcoming mission on their official X handle.

According to Axiom Space, the Ax-4 mission will “realise the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While this is the second human spaceflight mission in history for these countries, it will be the first time all three will execute a mission aboard the International Space Station. This historic mission highlights how Axiom Space is redefining access to low-Earth orbit and elevating national space programs globally.

The Ax-4 crew includes members from India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation’s first mission to the space station in history and the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years, according to Axiom Space.

Shubhanshu Shukla will be India’s second national astronaut to go to space since 1984. Slawosz Uznanski, European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut, will be the second Polish astronaut since 1978. Tibor Kapu will be the second national Hungarian astronaut since 1980. Peggy Whitson will command her second commercial human spaceflight mission, adding to her standing record for the longest cumulative time in space by an American astronaut.

Ax-4 will be the second commercial spaceflight mission made up of government and ESA-sponsored national astronauts. The Ax-4 mission stands as a beacon of opportunity for India, Poland, and Hungary, each poised to leverage this mission to advance their national space programs.

The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe. This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date, underscoring the mission’s global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO), per Axiom Space.

The mission emphasises scientific portfolios led by the U.S., India, Poland (in partnership with ESA), and Hungary. It aims to boost participation in these countries by involving diverse stakeholders, showcasing the value of microgravity research, and fostering international collaboration.

The studies will enhance global knowledge in human research, Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences, demonstrating the space research capabilities of the crew’s home nations. (ANI)