Axiom-4 Mission: ISRO celebrates historic docking of Dragon Spacecraft carrying Indian astronaut to ISS

NEW DELHI: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) congratulated Axiom Space, NASA and SpaceX as the Dragon Spacecraft carrying Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS).

The Axiom Mission 4 spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on June 26 at 16:15 hrs IST, marking a significant achievement in global space exploration.

ISRO mentioned that a team led by the Secretary, Department of Space, and chairman, ISRO, V Narayanan, witnessed the historic moment in the Mission Control Room at NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston.

Axiom Mission 4 successfully docked with the @Space_Station on 26 June 2025 at 16:15 hrs IST.

Team ISRO, led by Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, ISRO, witnessed the historical moment from the Mission Control Room at @NASA_Johnson, Houston.

Welcome ceremony of Axiom… pic.twitter.com/8uygmuPntH

— ISRO (@isro) June 26, 2025

In the X post, ISRO posted, “Axiom Mission 4 successfully docked with the @SpaceStation on 26 June 2025 at 16:15 hrs IST. Team ISRO, led by the Secretary, Department of Space and the Chairman, ISRO, witnessed the historical moment from the Mission Control Room at @NASA_Johnson, Houston.The welcome ceremony of the Axiom 4 Crew was completed on ISS. Mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla is the 634th Astronaut to be in Space. Heartiest congratulations to @Axiom_Space, @NASA, @SpaceX, and all international partners on this achievement!”

Axiom Mission 4 aboard the @SpaceX Dragon docked to the station at 6:31am ET today. Soon the Ax-4 astronauts will open the hatch and greet the Exp 73 crew live on @NASA+. More… https://t.co/XmWYPa4BhT pic.twitter.com/LjjMd7DfmW

— International Space Station (@Space_Station) June 26, 2025

Commenting on the mission, former ISRO scientist Mylswamy Annadurai described Ax-4 as a “predominantly commercial venture” that paves the way for future space exploration.

“This is predominantly a commercial venture. It opens up ways for using space as a vantage point for future exploration. It will prove useful after the International Space Station completes its lifespan. The success of this mission will enable India’s future ambitions of having a space station. The International Space Station can not be named so with India not being a part of it,” he said.

At 8:14am ET on Thursday, the hatch opened between the @SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station and the Ax-4 crew from @Axiom_Space crew entered. More… https://t.co/3pFFP6VbPO pic.twitter.com/k6GWzj0Oav

— International Space Station (@Space_Station) June 26, 2025

Axiom 4 mission aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully docked at the International Space Station on Thursday. The Dragon spacecraft was ahead of schedule, autonomously docking at 4:05 pm (IST) to the space-facing port of the space station’s Harmony module. NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers monitored Dragon’s automated approach and docking manoeuvres.

Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA (European Space Agency) astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary lifted off at Noon IST on June 25, on the SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. (ANI)