Post by : Badri Ariffin

Photo: Instagram

Next week, a big moment is coming for India in space history. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla from the Indian Air Force will fly to the International Space Station (ISS). He will be part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), which will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The flight is set for June 10 at 8:22 in the morning (EDT). Group Captain Shukla is one of four astronauts on this mission. This is a special trip because he will be only the second Indian ever to go to space and the first to visit the ISS. The first Indian in space was Rakesh Sharma, who flew in 1984 on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and spent about eight days in space.

The Ax-4 mission is led by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut. She has a lot of experience in space and has even commanded the ISS twice. Along with Shukla, the crew includes astronauts from Poland and Hungary. Like Shukla, they are also returning to space after more than 40 years for their countries.

Shukla will be the pilot of the mission, helping the commander with important tasks like flying the spacecraft during launch, docking, and returning to Earth.

The astronauts have been training and preparing for the trip since May 25 in quarantine. At a recent press conference, they showed a small white toy swan named Joy, which they say will be the “fifth crew member” on the mission.

Shukla said he feels very excited about the journey. He said this mission is not just about him but about carrying the hopes and dreams of over a billion Indians. He asked everyone to pray for the success of the mission.

Born in 1985 in Lucknow, Shukla joined the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot in 2006. He has flown many types of aircraft and has over 2,000 hours of flying experience. His sister shared that joining the Air Force was a surprise because he once filled out an application form for a friend who was not eligible, and he ended up being selected.

This mission is important for India’s future in space. It is connected to the Gaganyaan mission, which plans to send Indian astronauts to space by 2027. India also plans to build a space station by 2035 and send astronauts to the Moon by 2040.

The Ax-4 mission is a partnership between NASA, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the European Space Agency (ESA), and a private company called Axiom Space. It will use a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon capsule for the trip.

ISRO has invested about 5 billion rupees (around 59 million dollars) to secure Shukla’s seat and training. The experience he gains will help India in many ways. ISRO’s chairman said the training and experiments done on this mission will be very useful for India’s space program.

On the ISS, the astronauts will conduct about 60 scientific experiments. Seven of these experiments are from India. Shukla will also talk to Indian students from space, inspiring them to learn about science and space technology.

One important Indian experiment will study how space affects six types of crop seeds. Scientists want to learn if crops can grow well in space for future missions to the Moon or Mars. Another experiment will test microalgae, tiny plants that might be useful for food, fuel, or air in space.

They will also study tiny animals called tardigrades, which can survive extreme conditions, to see how they do in space. Other experiments will look at muscle loss in space and how using computer screens affects astronauts’ eyes and stress levels.

This mission is a huge step forward for India’s space dreams, and the whole country is watching and supporting Group Captain Shukla as he makes history.