Live Launch Of The Axiom-4 Mission

Axiom Space, a private company from the US, is in charge of managing and operating the mission. They will be utilizing the Falcon 9 rocket along with the Crew Dragon spacecraft, both created by SpaceX, which is the largest private space organization in the world.

The Axiom-4 Mission, which includes India’s Shubhanshu Shukla along with three other crew members, took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 12.01 pm on Wednesday. This mission is organized by Axiom Space, a startup based in Texas, in collaboration with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

The crew of four was launched aboard a massive SpaceX vehicle, featuring a Crew Dragon capsule on top of a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket.

The mission has experienced multiple delays since its original launch date of May 29, due to various issues, including problems with the launch vehicle and changes in pressure on the ISS’ Zvezda module. A leak in Zvezda was first identified in 2019, and space agencies have been working for years to resolve it. Repairs were completed prior to the Axiom-4 mission.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to Shubhanshu Shukla and the other astronauts for the successful launch of the Axiom-4 Mission.

He praised Shukla for being the first Indian to reach the International Space Station.

“We celebrate the successful launch of the Space Mission that includes astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland, and the US”, PM Modi shared in a post on X.

“The Indian Astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is on his way to becoming the first Indian to visit the International Space Station. He carries the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. Let’s wish him and the other astronauts all the best”, he added.

The Axiom-4 mission includes a diverse crew from the United States, India, Poland, and Hungary.

Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and the director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will lead this commercial mission, while ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will take on the role of pilot.

Additionally, the private mission features ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

Here’s what NASA has planned for the mission coverage

Wednesday, June 25

12:30 a.m. – Coverage for the Axiom Space and SpaceX launch starts.

1:40 a.m. – NASA joins in on the launch coverage via NASA+.

2:31 a.m. – Launch time!

NASA will wrap up its coverage after the orbital insertion, which happens about 15 minutes post-launch. Since this is a commercial launch, NASA won’t be providing a clean feed on its channels.

Thursday, June 26

5 a.m. – Coverage of the arrival starts on NASA+, Axiom Space, and SpaceX channels.

7 a.m. – Docking is targeted for the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module.