Shubhanshu Shukla’s Axiom‑4 Mission Set for June 19 Launch from Florida
India’s Shubhanshu Shukla is now officially set to launch into space on June 19, 2025, aboard Axiom‑4 (Ax‑04) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The mission will lift off via SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket after technical issues—including a liquid oxygen leak—were resolved through joint efforts by ISRO, Axiom Space, and SpaceX.
The Ax‑04 mission marks a pivotal moment for India’s space programme. A serving Indian Air Force Group Captain and ISRO’s newest astronaut, Shukla will join an international crew on a 14‑day journey to the International Space Station. He will conduct seven experiments designed by Indian institutions and collaborate on other research with NASA aboard the ISS.
ISRO confirmed that a coordination meeting addressed recent technical concerns, including a prior LOX leak in the Falcon 9 vehicle. SpaceX engineers have since rectified the issue and passed validation tests. Meanwhile, Axiom and NASA have been tracking a pressure anomaly in the ISS’s Zvezda service module, although this does not impact the Ax‑04 mission directly.
Shukla’s mission comes after multiple postponements: from May 29 to June 11, then due to weather and technical glitches before the final June 19 date was set.
For India, this represents the first human spaceflight since Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission. The Ax‑04 flight underscores India’s expanding global space partnerships and lays groundwork ahead of its own Gaganyaan crewed mission, targeted for 2027.
In addition to Shukla, the Ax‑04 crew includes veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson (commander), along with astronauts from Poland and Hungary. The mission will conduct over 60 scientific studies spanning 31 countries, including glucose research and space agriculture experiments.
The announcement has sparked excitement and national pride on social media. Indian netizens have celebrated the milestone, saying it will “inspire a new generation of scientists and space enthusiasts.” Support poured in from across the country, highlighting the symbolic importance of India’s return to human spaceflight.
