Lift-off for Axiom-4, crew on their way to the ISS

The Ax4 mission has lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Centre in Florida The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the companys Falcon 9 rocket The targeted docking time is approximately 7 am on Thursday June 26NASA Axiom Space and SpaceX are targeting 231 am EDT Wednesday Noon IST June 25 for launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station Axiom 4LIVE Axiom_Spaces Ax4 mission with crew from four different countries is about to launch to the Space_Station Liftoff from NASAKennedy is targeted for 231am ET 0631 UTC httpstcoyBgO8bxb6Zmdash NASA NASA June 25 2025Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to pilot the Axiom4 mission Joining the mission are Slawosz Uznanski of Poland a European Space Agency ESA project astronaut and Tibor Kapu of Hungary Uznanski will be Polands second astronaut since 1978 while Kapu will be Hungarys second since 1980 Veteran American astronaut Peggy Whitson will command the mission adding to her record for the longest cumulative time spent in space by any AmericanGroup Captain Shubhanshu Shukla who is set to pilot the Axiom 4 mission has said that India is returning to space after 41 years He stated that Indias flag will fly in space againINDIA IS RETURNING TO SPACE JAI HIND pictwittercomaxqFfZ6Pudmdash Shubhanshu Shukla IndiaInSky June 25 2025NASA had earlier stood down from a proposed launch date of June 22 According to the ISS additional time is needed to evaluate station operations following recent repair work in the aft segment of the Zvezda service module Due to the highly interconnected nature of the orbital laboratorys systems NASA is reviewing relevant data to ensure readiness for the arrival of additional crew membersHighlighting the global significance of the mission ISS noted that the agencies appreciate the historic nature of this mission for the nations of India Poland and Hungary as well as the world The fourmember crew remains in quarantine in Florida and is prepared to launch once the station is cleared to receive them Axiom Mission 4 will be commanded by Peggy Whitson a former NASA astronaut and now Axiom Spaces Director of Human Spaceflight Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla from ISRO will serve as the missions pilotThe mission specialists are ESA project astronaut Slawosz UznanskiWisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft remain healthy on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Centre in FloridaAccording to Axiom Space the Ax4 mission will realise the return to human spaceflight for India Poland and Hungary marking each nations first governmentsponsored flight in more than 40 years While this is the second human spaceflight mission in history for these countries it will be the first time all three will execute a mission aboard the International Space Station This historic mission highlights how Axiom Space is redefining access to lowEarth orbit and elevating national space programs globallyAxiom4 is the second commercial spaceflight mission made up of government and ESAsponsored national astronauts The Ax4 mission stands as a beacon of opportunity for India Poland and Hungary each poised to leverage this mission to advance their national space programsThe Ax4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries including the US India Poland Hungary Saudi Arabia Brazil Nigeria UAE and nations across Europe This will be the most research and sciencerelated activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date underscoring the missions global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in lowEarth orbit LEO per Axiom SpaceThe mission emphasises scientific portfolios led by the US India Poland in partnership with ESA and Hungary It aims to boost participation in these countries by involving diverse stakeholders showcasing the value of microgravity research and fostering international collaboration The studies will enhance global knowledge in human research Earth observation and life biological and material sciences demonstrating the space research capabilities of the crews home nationsWith ANI inputs