Axiom 4 Mission Lifts Off Successfully!
Launch Details
On June 25, 2025, at 12:01 PM IST (2:31 AM EDT), SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, carrying the brand‑new Crew Dragon “Grace” (C213) to the International Space Station.
Following a safe ascent, the spacecraft will dock at the station’s Harmony zenith port on June 26 around 4:30 PM IST (7:00 AM EDT).
Crew Composition
Commander Peggy Whitson (USA), Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight, former NASA astronaut with a record-setting 675 days in orbit.
Pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (India, IAF & ISRO), the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS, selected for ISRO’s Gaganyaan, carrying a tricolour‑adorned suit and a personal pre‑launch playlist featuring Shah Rukh Khan.
Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu (Hungary) under the HUNOR initiative.
Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznanski‑Wiśniewski (Poland) leading the Ignis mission
About Crew Dragon “Grace” (C213)
This fifth and final Dragon 2 spacecraft, aptly named “Grace”, is making its maiden flight on Ax‑4.
International Collaboration & Milestones
First ISS Missions for India, Hungary & Poland
India returns to space nearly 41 years after Rakesh Sharma.
First-ever ISS missions for Hungary and Poland.
Pioneering Private Spaceflight
Axiom‑4 marks the fourth private astronaut mission to ISS, reinforcing Axiom Space’s growing commercial portfolio.
NASA continues leveraging partnerships to commercialize low Earth orbit access.
Mission Objectives: Science, Outreach & Tech
The crew will conduct 60+ international experiments during their ~14‑day stay.
Shukla will perform seven India‑led experiments studying biology (microalgae, cyanobacteria, tardigrades), food crops in microgravity, cognitive research, and more.
Additional activities include educational outreach, tech demonstrations, and commercial tests.
Challenges & Preparations
Initial delays were due to:
A liquid oxygen leak in the booster.
A leak in the ISS’s Russian Zvezda module.
Weather constraints ⛅ – launch attempts were stood down six times before receiving the green light.
What’s Next
1. Docking – around June 26, 4:30 PM IST at Harmony zenith port.
2. 14 day mission involving science, outreach, and station care.
3. Return to Earth in early July (planned splashdown off California).
4. Impact- sets the stage for India’s Gaganyaan mission in 2027, and deepens Europe (Poland) and Hungary’s human spaceflight presence.
In Summary
The Axiom 4 mission lifted by Falcon 9 and piloted by Shubhanshu Shukla – represents a historic milestone in international space collaboration.
With a global crew, groundbreaking science, and commercial ambitions, it embodies the future of private space exploration and paves the way for India’s Gaganyaan and emerging space nations.
Godspeed, Ax‑4!
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