AXIOM 4 MISSION: Indian astronaut-designate Shubhanshu Shukla to fly to space station in May

By R Anil Kumar

• Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has been designated as the Mission Pilot for Axiom Mission 4, the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station

• The Axiom-4 Mission to the International Space Station (ISS), piloted by Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, will involve around 60 scientific studies, including 7 experiments led by ISRO, focusing on areas like agriculture, food, and human biology

Bengaluru.  Indian astronaut-designate Shubhanshu Shukla is set to embark on a journey to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), with the mission expected to launch as early as May this year, according to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  

Group Captain Shukla, an officer in the Indian Air Force, has been designated as the Mission Pilot for Ax-4. His selection marks a historic moment for India, as he will be the second Indian to travel to space, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s landmark mission in 1984.

Joining Shukla on this private astronaut mission are former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who will serve as mission commander, along with Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

Their mission will involve a stay of up to 14 days aboard the ISS, during which they will engage in scientific research, outreach programmes, and commercial activities. Notably, this mission will also carry the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to the space station.

Shukla’s selection comes as part of India’s broader space ambitions. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) selected him as a key astronaut-designate for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission, India’s first human spaceflight programme.

Gaganyaan aims to send a three-member crew into a 400 km low Earth orbit for a mission lasting up to three days. ISRO has partnered with NASA and Axiom Space for the initiative.

Additionally, India has designated Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair as a backup astronaut for Ax-4. Should Shukla be unable to fly, Nair will step in to represent the country on the mission.

India secured a seat for its astronaut aboard Ax-4 through an agreement between ISRO and NASA.

The mission is being facilitated by Axiom Space Inc., a Houston-based private space company. However, the collaboration between the space agencies may be exempt from the reciprocal tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump.

Ax-4 mission

Ax-4 will be the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS. The mission is scheduled to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which will be propelled by a Falcon 9 rocket.

NASA has previously overseen three private astronaut missions to the ISS. Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) took place in April 2022, lasting 17 days. Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) followed in May 2023, with four private astronauts spending eight days in orbit. The most recent mission, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3), launched in January 2024, with its crew staying aboard the ISS for 18 days.

The anticipated launch of Ax-4 will come just months after Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams returned to Earth, having spent 286 days in space.

Indian Astronaut-Designate to Hold 7 Experiments, Participate In 60 Studies at Space Station

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will also assist with 60 special scientific studies representing 31 countries, including India, during the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4).

Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will conduct seven experiments in the fields of agriculture, food and human biology, when he travels to the International Space Station (ISS) this year, becoming the first Indian to do so.

Besides, Shukla will also assist with 60 special scientific studies during the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), which is jointly being undertaken by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

According to NASA, Shukla will pilot the Axiom Mission 4, a private astronaut mission launching aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The American space agency is expected to launch the mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, possibly in May. The crew will conduct experiments, outreach programs and commercial activities in microgravity as part of a collaboration between NASA and ISRO.

Group Captain Shukla serves as the astronaut designate and Mission Pilot.

ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan exuded confidence that Shukla will do “fantastically as an astronaut to the space station.

Incidentally, ISRO is using the Ax-4 flight as an opportunity to master human space flight as part of preparations for the Gaganyaan and Bharatiya Antariksha Station missions.

In a statement, Axiom Space Inc said the Ax-4 research will comprise 60 scientific studies and activities from 31 countries, including the US, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE and other nations across Europe.

This will be the most research-oriented, science-related activity conducted during an Axiom Space mission aboard the ISS to date, underscoring the mission’s global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low Earth orbit (LEO), it said.

Earlier, Minister of State (MoS) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said Shukla will focus on “space technology, space bio-manufacturing and bio-astronautics” during the latter’s fortnight-long space mission.

The IAF officer will grow special micro-organisms in the football-sized space station to look for edible algae; grow special bacteria; and study the effect on muscle cells, and understand why astronauts face muscle loss in space.

India’s research will focus on:

• Investigating the physical and cognitive impact of computer screens in microgravity.
• Studying growth, metabolism and genetics of three microalgae strains in microgravity versus on the ground.
• Comparing growth, cellular responses and biochemistry of two cyanobacteria strains in microgravity.
• Identifying pathways of skeletal muscle dysfunction in microgravity and exploring therapies.
• Examining spaceflight impacts on six crop seed varieties.
• Identifying molecular mechanisms of resilience in extreme environments.
• Sprouting salad seeds in space and its relevance to crew nutrition.
• Indian institutions from New Delhi, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram are scheduled to be a part of these studies.

On the other hand, Poland and the European Space Agency (ESA) are together targeting 16 experiments; Hungary seeks to conduct 17.

The science experiments planned by the Europeans seem fairly advanced in comparison to what India is attempting on its second space flight, which comes almost four decades after Astronaut Rakesh Sharma’s flight in 1984.

The non-Indian experiments being flown as part of the Ax-4 mission include: assessing an astronaut’s ‘readiness’ using a wearable device, iPhone software, and AWS Snowcone analytics, developing infrastructure for wearable device data processing during the Ax-4 mission, assessing six wearable bio-monitor devices for function and stability in space, and exploring space flight effects on 3D printed materials.

Shukla will be accompanied by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and mission commander, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

Once docked, the astronauts are scheduled to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprising science, outreach and commercial activities. The private mission also carries the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to the space station.

Axiom Space said, “The studies will contribute to the global knowledge base in human research, Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences, showcasing the space research capabilities of the crew’s home nation”.