The USD 64-million Axiom-4 (Ax-4) Space Mission is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, USA, on June 10. It can help the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reap benefits for its future manned space missions.
India’s maiden crewed space mission, Gaganyaan, is scheduled for 2027, and one of the four astronauts chosen for it, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is the pilot for the Ax-4 Space Mission. Other crew members include former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, Peggy Whitson of the USA, as the mission commander; and two mission specialists, European Space Agency project astronaut Sławosz UznańskiWiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
For the record, Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to go into space in April 1984, and Group Captain Shukla— the second Indian to follow suit after nearly 41 years—will be the first Indian to pilot a spacecraft. Piloting the SpaceX Dragon, Shukla will be responsible for docking the vehicle with the International Space Station and undocking for its return to Earth after the 14-day mission.
Incidentally, ISRO’s own Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) has been ongoing in autonomous mode since January, during which two satellites, each weighing just 220 kg, are undergoing docking and undocking procedures in space at an orbital altitude of 400 km.
ISRO has planned mega-manned missions ahead, with its indigenous space station, Bharatiya Antriksh Station, scheduled for completion by 2035 and its first manned lunar mission by 2040. They will involve docking/undocking procedures, besides a slew of crucial experiments in space, for which the Ax-4 space mission would be a valuable source of data and experience through Shukla’s involvement.
The Ax4’s crew will conduct approximately 60 scientific studies representing 31 countries, including India. Expected to be one of the most intense research- and science-related missions aboard the ISS, it involves research on the impact of microgravity on human health, Earth observation, and life sciences, as well as biological and material sciences, demonstrating the space research capabilities of the crew’s home nations.
It will enhance knowledge among diverse stakeholders, including students, academics, and members of the space industry, through live interactions with the crew on issues related to survival in space and space technologies — all crucial for India’s future manned space missions.