'Hopes of a billion hearts....': India returns to space after 41 years with Shubhanshu Shukla. Watch Axiom-4 mission launch here

On June 10, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will blast off into space aboard the Axiom Mission 4, marking India's return to spaceflight after more than four decades. Launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, Shukla and his international crew are set for a 28-hour journey aboard a SpaceX Dragon, with docking at the International Space Station expected around 10 PM IST on June 11.

The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission will be the first time an Indian astronaut heads to space since Rakesh Sharma flew aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984. Shukla, the mission pilot, will join commander Peggy Whitson, Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, and Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski for the 14-day mission aboard the ISS.

"The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 12:30 p.m. EDT (10:00 p.m. IST), Wednesday, June 11," NASA confirmed.

Ahead of the launch, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan visited Axiom Space to review preparations. The crew has been in quarantine since May 25 and undergoing extensive training, including emergency drills like underwater escapes.

"The #Ax4 crew undergoes extensive emergency training, featuring a range of scenarios such as underwater escape drills," Axiom Space shared in a post on X (formally Twitter).

The Ax-4 crew is scheduled to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, students, and industry leaders during their stay on the ISS. Speaking at a press conference earlier this week, Whitson said, "We are good for the launch, we have completed all the training and the team has bonded well."

Shukla, reflecting on the journey so far, called the year-long training "nothing short of transformative."

"It has been an amazing journey so far, but the best is yet to come. As I go into space, I carry not just instruments and equipment, I carry hopes and dreams of a billion hearts," he said.

Onboard, Shukla will lead food and nutrition-related experiments developed jointly by ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology, with support from NASA. These include sprouting methi and moong in microgravity and returning the seeds for generational cultivation under Earth conditions.

In total, ISRO has lined up seven experiments for Shukla, alongside five joint studies with NASA under its human research program. The mission, which costs ISRO Rs 550 crore, will also serve as a valuable precursor to the Gaganyaan mission planned for 2027.