ISRO astronaut and Indian Air Force (IAF) officer Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), which is set to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than spring 2025, the US space agency announced on Thursday.
Shukla will make history as the first Indian astronaut to visit the orbiting laboratory aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. A serving officer in the IAF, he has also been selected as an astronaut for India’s Gaganyaan mission.
Former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight, Peggy Whitson, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO astronaut Shukla will serve as the pilot, NASA stated. The two mission specialists are European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
“I am excited to see continued interest and dedication toward private astronaut missions aboard the International Space Station,” said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s ISS Program at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
“As NASA looks toward the future of low Earth orbit, private astronaut missions help pave the way and expand access to the unique microgravity environment,” NASA added.
The first private astronaut mission to the ISS, Axiom Mission 1, launched in April 2022 for a 17-day stay aboard the orbiting laboratory. The second private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 2, also commanded by Whitson, launched in May 2023 with four private astronauts who spent eight days in orbit. The most recent mission, Axiom Mission 3, launched in January 2024, with its crew spending 18 days docked at the space station.
“Working with the talented and diverse Ax-4 crew has been a deeply rewarding experience,” said Whitson.
“Witnessing their selfless dedication and commitment to expanding horizons and creating opportunities for their nations in space exploration is truly remarkable. Each crew member brings unique strengths and perspectives, making our mission not just a scientific endeavor but a testament to human ingenuity and teamwork,” she added.
Meanwhile, NASA on Thursday said it is “working expeditiously” with SpaceX to safely bring back Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and astronaut Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded aboard the ISS for 238 days.
NASA’s statement followed SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s claim that US President Donald Trump had requested him to expedite the return of Williams and Wilmore.
-IANS