On 10th June 2025, Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be the pilot on the Dragon spacecraft commanded by US astronaut Peggy Whitson with Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisiniewski and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu as mission specialists on the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) during their 14-day stay on the orbiting laboratory. He is set to fly to the International Space Station next week from a US spaceport aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, becoming the second Indian astronaut to journey into space, nearly four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic 1984 Soyuz mission.

Commanded by veteran American astronaut Peggy Whitson, with Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisiniewski and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu as mission specialists, the Ax-4 crew will spend 14 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), conducting over 60 science experiments, public outreach, and technology demonstrations.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Ax-4 crew aboard the Dragon from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 10. While aboard the ISS, the Ax-4 astronauts plan to conduct over 60 science experiments, public outreach and technology demonstrations. The launch was earlier set for June 8.

Shukla, a decorated combat pilot with over 2,000 flight hours, was selected as one of four astronauts for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission. Since August 2024, he and his backup, IAF Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, have been undergoing rigorous training across Axiom Space, NASA’s Johnson Space Centre, and SpaceX. “It’s been an amazing journey until now — the best is yet to come,” Shukla said at a countdown-to-launch media conference organised by Axiom Space, a US-based private aerospace company engaged in commercial missions to the ISS and working towards building the first commercial space station.

Shukla and fellow IAF group captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, who’s serving as his designated backup, have been under training for the AX-4 mission since August 2024. All the AX-4 crew have undergone training at Axiom Space, Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre and SpaceX. The training has involved simulations of the launch and docking practice, emergency response drills, space station systems training and scientific payload operations.

“We’re ready to go, we’ve trained for all scenarios, bonded as a team,” said Whitson, who will be commanding her second commercial human spaceflight mission and add to her standing record of 675 days for the longest cumulative time in space by an American astronaut.

Among the experiments Shukla will carry for India are studies on microgravity’s impact on microalgae, including Spirulina—considered a potential superfood for long-duration missions. These experiments, developed through a collaboration between ISRO, India’s Department of Biotechnology, and NASA, aim to advance research on life-support systems in space. As Shukla prepares for liftoff, his mission marks a significant leap for India’s growing presence in space exploration.