Jai Hind, Jai Bharat: Shubhanshu Shukla's first words from SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket after lift off. Watch video

After multiple delays, the Axiom-4 mission carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others lifted off at 12:01 pm on Wednesday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

After the takeoff, Shukla said, "Namaskar mere deshwasiyon. After 41 years, we are back in space. And what a magnificent journey it was. Right now, we are orbiting the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometres per second. The tricolour is on my shoulder, showing that I am with all of you."

Shukla said, "This is not just the beginning of my journey to the International Space Station — this is the beginning of India’s human spaceflight programme, and I want all of you to be a part of this journey."


"Jai Hind, Jai Bharat."
The crew is travelling to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 4.30 pm IST on Thursday, June 26, as per NASA.

Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, is commanding the commercial mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shukla is serving as pilot.

Once docked, the astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprised of science, outreach, and commercial activities. Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, is in command of the mission, while Indian Space Research Organization Astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla serves as pilot. The two mission specialists are European Space Agency project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

The astronauts are using the new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit which provides them with advanced capabilities for space exploration while providing NASA with commercially developed human systems needed to access, live and work on and around the Moon. The advanced spacesuits ensure astronauts are equipped with high-performing, robust equipment and are designed to accommodate a wide range of crew members.

The Ax-4 mission is going to be conducting major research. The research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe.

This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date

NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) are collaborating to launch several scientific investigations.

These studies include examining muscle regeneration, growth of sprouts and edible microalgae, survival of tiny aquatic organisms, and human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity.

The first private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 1, lifted off in April 2022 for a 17-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory. The second private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 2, also was commanded by Whitson and launched in May 2023 with four private astronauts who spent eight days in orbit. The most recent private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 3, launched in January 2024; the crew spent 18 days docked to the space station.

The International Space Station is a convergence of science, technology, and human innovation that enables research not possible on Earth. For more than 24 years, NASA has supported a continuous human presence aboard the orbiting laboratory, through which astronauts have learned to live and work in space for extended periods of time.