Axiom-4 mission: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla completes final launch drill, calls Ax-4 journey 'much larger than...'

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is in the final stages of preparation for his first journey to space. He is one of the four astronauts in the Ax-4 mission, which is scheduled to launch on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 5:54 pm IST. The team recently completed a full dress rehearsal of launch day activities, bringing them one step closer to their flight to the International Space Station (ISS).

The Ax-4 crew is led by experienced astronaut Peggy Whitson. All members wore the official SpaceX flight suits and carried out every step they will follow on launch day – from leaving the preparation building to entering the Dragon spacecraft. This practice run was done to ensure that everything goes smoothly during the real launch.

The crew will fly aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that will be launched by the Falcon 9 rocket. The launch will take place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA. This will be the Dragon spacecraft’s first flight and the Falcon 9 booster’s second. After lifting off and completing its task, the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket will return to Earth and land at Landing Zone 1 in Florida.

Shubhanshu Shukla, who is lovingly called “Shux,” will become the second Indian to travel to space, following in the footsteps of Rakesh Sharma. Sharma made history in 1984 when he flew to space on a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft for an eight-day mission. Now, 41 years later, Shukla is carrying forward that legacy.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Shukla shared his thoughts in a video released by Axiom Space. “It has been an amazing journey,” he said. “These are the moments that make you realise you are becoming part of something much bigger than yourself. I feel extremely fortunate.”

Born in Lucknow, Shukla and his fellow astronauts from the US, Poland, and Hungary will spend 14 days on the ISS. During this time, they will perform over 60 scientific experiments in fields such as human health, Earth studies, life sciences, biology, and material research.

Their mission aims to support both current space research and future long-term space missions, while also helping Earth-based studies through data collected in orbit.