India is on the verge of history as the countdown nears for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax‑4), carrying Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla—the first Indian destined for the International Space Station. Liftoff is scheduled for 12:01 PM IST (2:31 AM EDT) on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying a Crew Dragon capsule (axiomspace.com).
After multiple delays—including a Falcon 9 LOX leak on June 10 and a pressure issue in the ISS Zvezda module on June 12—the mission is back on track, bolstered by a 90% favorable weather forecast for launch day
The four-member international crew includes veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson as commander, ISRO’s Shukla as pilot, ESA’s Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, all bound for a two-week mission aboard the ISS . Scheduled docking is approximately 4:30 PM IST on Thursday, June 26
The Ax‑4 mission represents a major milestone for India—as Shukla becomes only the second Indian in space since Rakesh Sharma in 1984—and reaffirms international collaboration across NASA, ISRO, Axiom Space, SpaceX, ESA, and HUNOR (en.wikipedia.org).
While in orbit, the crew will conduct around 60 scientific experiments from 31 nations, including joint NASA-ISRO projects and student-led research in microgravity environments (axiomspace.com). With global attention centered on this pivotal launch, India stands poised to reclaim its place on the human spaceflight stage.