Axiom Space Mission: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla flew to the International Space Station on May 29

Axiom Mission 4 crew, from left to right, Poland’s European Space Agency astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu. Photo: X/@NasaspaceOps via PTI

Indian Astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission is scheduled to be launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in NASA’s Florida in 2025.

NASA announced Tuesday that Captain Shukla will be a pilot of the AXIOM-4 Mission (AX-4), which will target no more than 1:03 PM (East Time) of ESTER (ETT).

The Axiom Mission 4 crew will be launched on the ISS on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and will spend up to 14 days on Orbiting Laboratory.

Captain Shukra, who is also one of the four astronaut designated persons for Isro’s Gaganya mission, will become the first Indian astronaut to enter the International Space Station and the first Indian to enter space in the past 40 years.

Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson will direct commercial missions, European Space Agency project astronaut Sławoszuznański-Wiśniewski is from Poland, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu is also part of the crew.

Axiom Space said the AX-4 study supplement includes about 60 scientific research and activities representing 31 countries, including the United States, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates and European countries.

At a press conference Tuesday, Axiom Space shared details about experiments, microgravity research and technical demonstrations that will become part of the Axiom Mission 4 (AX-4).

ISRO has been shortlisted for seven microgravity research experiments proposed by Principal Investigators of India (PIS) from various national R&D laboratories and academic institutions to implement ISS.

“On our maiden mission to the ISS we have as set of experiments being investigated by some of the leading academic institutions and research labs from India the experiments range from search of growth of microalgae and cyanobacteria to muscle regeneration experiments, sprouting in space, studying resilience of tardigrades, seeds experiment and human computer interactions in space,” said Tushar Phadnis, Group Head for Microgravity Platforms and research, ISRO.

Answer questions about why three of the seven experiments in India are related to food

“ISRO wants to explore, especially, the exploration of Indian foods in a centralized manner, for example, we have a germination experiment to germinate green g or Moong and Fenugreek, believed to have medicinal properties,” said Mr Phadnis.