After weeks of waiting, it’s finally go time for Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and his three fellow crew members. The Axiom Mission 4 team is all set to launch into space on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, heading to the International Space Station (ISS).
This mission marks a major milestone for India, as Shukla becomes the first ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut to board the ISS — a big step forward for India’s space program.
According to SpaceX, which is handling the launch and space transport, “All systems are looking good for Wednesday’s (June 25, 2025) launch of @Axiom_Space’s Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station and weather is 90% favorable for liftoff.”
The crew will blast off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:01 p.m. IST, and are expected to dock at the ISS the following day at around 4:30 p.m. IST.
Meet the Axiom Mission 4 Crew
The team includes four astronauts from four different countries:
-
Peggy Whitson: Former NASA astronaut and current director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space. She’s leading the mission as its commander.
-
Shubhanshu Shukla: Representing ISRO and India, he’ll serve as the mission’s pilot.
-
Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski: From Poland and flying with the European Space Agency (ESA), he’s one of the two mission specialists.
-
Tibor Kapu: Representing Hungary’s HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) program, he’s the second mission specialist.
Together, this crew brings an international touch to the private space mission.
A Mission That Faced Setbacks
Axiom Mission 4 wasn’t a straight shot to launch day. The original liftoff date had to be postponed more than once. First, bad weather held things up. Then, engineers discovered technical issues—including leaks on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and later in the Russian module of the ISS.
NASA explained that they had to wait for repair work to be completed in a part of the space station called the Zvezda service module. It’s located at the far end of the ISS and had a problem in its transfer tunnel.
But now, all systems are finally good to go.
“NASA and Roscosmos have a long history of cooperation and collaboration on the International Space Station. This professional working relationship has allowed the agencies to arrive at a shared technical approach and now Axiom Mission 4 launch and docking will proceed,” said Janet Petro, NASA’s acting Administrator.
A Global Partnership in Space
The Axiom Mission 4 is more than just a space trip — it’s a result of international partnerships. It also ties back to a promise made years ago when former U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to send an ISRO astronaut to the space station.
As part of this collaboration between NASA and ISRO, Axiom Mission 4 will also include five joint scientific investigations and two in-orbit STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities.
After reaching the space station, the crew will spend around two weeks onboard. During their stay, they’ll take part in various scientific experiments, conduct outreach events, and work on commercial space activities.
Also Read: India’s Shubhanshu Shukla Set to Fly to Space Today on Axiom Mission 4
