Axiom 4 was successfully launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 25 June 2025. Four astronauts from the US, India, Poland, and Hungary will fly together to the International Space Station as part of this mission. Commander Peggy Whitson of the US, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary are part of the mission, and Shubhanshu Shukla is the second astronaut from India to go into space.
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Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a distinguished pilot in the Indian Air Force, has also been selected as one of the elite four astronauts for ISRO’s historic Gaganyaan mission, which is India’s first-ever human spaceflight. This monumental endeavor marks a giant leap for the nation’s space exploration journey. “We are proud and happy to see Shubhanshu Shukla become the second Indian to travel to space, this time as part of the Axiom-4 Mission. This journey is a testament to the growing global footprint of India in space exploration and is a stepping stone to what we want to achieve with Gaganyaan, our own indigenous human spaceflight program,” said Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (retd.), Director General, Indian Space Association (ISpA).
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“India is now in the final stages of preparation for the Gaganyaan mission, with firms like Larsen & Toubro, Tata and Ananth Technologies playing a critical role alongside our vibrant startups. If all goes as planned, we are just one or two years away from realizing the dream of sending Indian astronauts to space on an entirely indigenous platform. The success of missions like Axiom 4 inspires our ecosystem and strengthens our resolve to make India a leading force in the new era of space exploration,” he added.
List of Indian Experiments to be Carried Out by Shubhanshu Shukla
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will carry out 7 exclusive microgravity experiments during the Axiom 4 Mission:
Edible Microalgae (ICGEB & BRIC-NIPGR, New Delhi): Study of the growth and metabolism of three selected varieties of edible microalgae in microgravity. Potential applications: Crew nutrition, wastewater recycling, and carbon dioxide to oxygen conversion.
Sprouts (UAS Dharwad & IIT Dharwad): Germination and nutrition study of moong and methi seeds sprouted in space. Potential applications: Crew food supplement, and medicinal benefit.
Muscle regeneration (BRIC-InStem, Bengaluru): Mimic muscle regeneration in space to study reasons for muscle loss and investigate possible interventions. Potential applications: Addressing muscle loss in astronauts, and remedies for muscle related problems on Earth.
Tardigrades (lISc, Bengaluru): Study survival, revival and reproduction of Bengaluru strain of tardigrade in space conditions. Potential applications: Strategies for human survival in extreme condition.
Electronic displays (IlSc, Bengaluru): Effect of microgravity on human machine interactions while using electronic displays. Potential applications: Design guidelines for crew console.
Cyanobacteria (ICGEB, New Delhi): Study of growth of two varieties of cyanobacteria in space with urea as nitrogen source. Potential applications: Carbon and Nitrogen recycling in space, potential superfood for crew.
Food crop seeds (IIST & KAU, Trivandrum): Field studies from rice, cowpea, sesame, brinjal and tomato seeds exposed to microgravity. Potential applications: Space agriculture, and resilient plant varieties for earth
