Axiom-4 Successfully Docks At International Space Station
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and only the second Indian to travel to space. He will serve as the pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), which is scheduled to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in a few hours.
NASA confirmed that the mission is scheduled for 02:31 EDT (06:31 GMT; 12:01 IST) on Wednesday. The mission will be led by veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has previously commanded the ISS twice, accumulated hundreds of days in space, and completed 10 spacewalks.
Group Captain Shukla’s journey comes 41 years after Rakesh Sharma made history in 1984. Sharma was the first Indian to travel to space, spending nearly eight days aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule.
The Ax-4 crew also includes Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Like India, both Poland and Hungary are returning to space after more than four decades.
This mission is a collaborative effort involving NASA, ISRO, and the European Space Agency (ESA). It is operated by Houston-based private firm Axiom Space. The crew will travel aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket.
During their two-week stay at the ISS, the Ax-4 crew will conduct 60 scientific experiments. Seven of these have been designed by India’s space agency ISRO.
Ahead of his mission, Group Captain Shukla said, “I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts.”
Shukla is carrying specially-prepared Indian sweets, including mango nectar, carrot halwa, and moong dal halwa the space.
“There will be plenty of food to eat in space, but I will be carrying mango nectar, carrot halva and moong dal halva with me,” he said at a recent press conference. Shukla said he that he plans to share them with his fellow astronauts.
During the online press conference, the crew introduced “Joy,” a five-inch-tall, white toy swan, which they called the “fifth crew member.” The soft toy will serve as the mission’s zero-gravity (zero-G) indicator.
According to Axiom Space, “It will be used as an indicator by the crew, shortly after launch, as a physical confirmation that they have transitioned to microgravity.”
Commander Whitson said the swan was chosen for its grace and cultural symbolism across the participating countries.
“In India, it symbolises wisdom and purity, representing the pursuit of truth. In Poland, the swan stands for purity, loyalty and resilience, while in Hungary, it epitomises loyalty, grace and the beauty of nature,” she said.
Group Captain Shukla added, “In Indian culture, the swan is also the vehicle of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning and wisdom. To carry the swan to space is to carry the pursuit of knowledge, clarity of purpose and grace under pressure.”
The swan’s name, Joy, was proposed by Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu. “A team that has joy is a team that is healthy,” he remarked.
Also Read: India’s Shubhanshu Shukla Set to Fly to Space Today on Axiom Mission 4
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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