Indian Air Force (IAF) officer and ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who has been selected as the pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), expressed his excitement about the upcoming private mission to the International Space Station (ISS), scheduled for spring 2025. Shukla will become the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS on a private mission, launching aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Shukla shared that he is eagerly looking forward to experiencing microgravity on the ISS and mentioned that he plans to try some yoga postures in space. He also intends to carry items representing various regions of India, which will be selected by an Indian university, to symbolize the nation’s presence in space.
As part of his preparations, Shukla has been cooking Indian dishes with his crew members and hopes to bring some of these recipes to space. “It will be an interesting experience to share a part of Indian culture on the ISS,” he said.
The Axiom Mission 4 crew will spend up to 14 days aboard the ISS, conducting scientific research, outreach, and commercial activities. The mission will be commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, now Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight, with specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from the European Space Agency and Tibor Kapu from Hungary joining the team.
Shukla, who is also involved in India’s Gaganyaan programme, believes the mission will provide valuable experience that will aid in future space missions. Whitson praised the crew’s dedication, highlighting their collective commitment to advancing space exploration and opening new opportunities for their nations.
With his enthusiasm and plans to represent India in space, Shubhanshu Shukla is set to make history with Axiom Mission 4.
