Axiom-4: Nasa shares latest update; India’s Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission targeting June 25 launch

Nasa on Tuesday confirmed that the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station is now targeting a launch on Wednesday, June 25. The mission previously faced series of postponements caused by technical issues, weather conditions, and safety concerns.

Peggy Whitson, former Nasa astronaut and now director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the Axiom-4 mission. Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, representing Isro, will serve as the pilot, joined by mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both representing the European Space Agency.SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are in good condition and ready at Launch Complex 39A at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.All crew members are currently in pre-flight quarantine, remaining mission-ready as final preparations continue.Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force pilot from Lucknow, is set to become the second Indian to go to space after Rakesh Sharma’s historic 1984 mission. With over 2,000 flying hours on jets like the MiG-29 and Su-30 MKI, Shukla will serve as the mission pilot.