"Obviously command Gaganyaan Mission": Space strategist PK Ghosh on Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla ahead of Axiom 4 launch

New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): As the Axiom-4 Mission is set to launch on Wednesday, Space strategist PK Ghosh called it a significant day for India and said that Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will command ISRO's Gaganyaan Mission, leading three to four astronauts into space.
"I think this is a very significant day for India, for ISRO, and for each and every citizen of the country because we are sending an astronaut for the second time after 1984. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is going to be at the International Space Station for 14 days...For us, this is a very important day because we are going to have the Gaganyaan coming up very soon," PK Ghosh told ANI.
Speaking of Gaganyaan, Ghosh said that Group Captain Shukla will be the only person with experience in space and will lead ISRO's mission.
The Space Strategist Ghosh added, "At that time, he will be the only person who will be experienced, and he will obviously command the Gaganyaan Mission. He is going to be heading the 3-4 astronauts who will go from India."
On the Axiom-4 Mission, he said that Commander Peggy Whitson would lead it while Group Captain Shukla would be the navigator.
"But at the moment, Commander Peggy is going to head the Axiom 4 Mission and he (Group Captain Shukla) is going to be the navigator. They are going to carry out some experiments...I am eagerly looking forward to it and I would like to salute NASA for selecting such a nice astronaut and I know that it is going to be a big success and he is going to come back after 14 days, fully experienced...I think all 1.4 billion are looking forward to it."
Meanwhile, Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday provided an update to Axiom-4 Mission stating that the private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) piloted by Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is scheduled for take-off at around 12:01 pm IST today.
Singh took to post on the social media platform X, Singh, "Update on #AXIOM4 Mission to International Space Station (ISS): Indian astronaut Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla formally joins the other three crew members for the much-awaited launch, as of now, scheduled around 12:01 PM IST today".
The Axiom-4 mission is targeting a launch window of 2:31 a.m. EDT or 12 noon IST on Wednesday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida in the US. (ANI)