The Union Minister highlighted that Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is "possibly" the most important member of the Axiom 4 mission and will perform seven crucial experiments designed by the Indian institutes.
As the Axiom 4 Mission was launched on Wednesday, ISRO scientist Tapan Mishra said that with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, at least one of India's pilots for the Gaganyaan mission will have an experience of going into space.
Following the liftoff of the Axiom 4 mission from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, US, Union Minister Jitendra Singh, along with Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green, Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, and others, celebrated the moment in New Delhi.
The families of Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who is heading to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 Mission, were welcomed at the school he attended in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow.
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.
"Dragon's hatch is closed, all communication and suit checks are complete, the seats are rotated, and the Ax-4 crew is ready for launch," SpaceX posted on X.
Ahead of the much-awaited Axiom 4 mission to the International Space Station, Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla has joined the four-member crew. The Axiom 4 mission launch is scheduled for 12:01 pm on Wednesday.
Joy, pride, and excitement swept through Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla prepares to make history with the Axiom-4 mission, set to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday.
As NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are targeting 2:31 am EDT, on Wednesday (Noon IST), June 25, for the launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), Axiom Mission 4, SpaceX announced that all systems were "looking good" for the launch of the missi