BENGALURU: One of the most awaited international space mission- Axiom-4 launched from Launch Complex 39A of Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday at 12.02pm IST as per schedule.
Netizens and space experts were hooked onto social media to view the launch live two hours in advance. The maiden interaction of the four astronauts from India, Hungary, U.S and Poland with each other inside the Dragon and with the crew members at the International Space Station (ISS) brought cheer to fellow scientists and countrymen across the globe.
The mission is being piloted by Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla, who is one of the four Indian astronauts on the Gaganyaan mission. The success of the Ax-4 will play a pivotal role in the training and success of ISRO’S Gaganyaan mission scheduled for launch in 2027. Shukla is the first Indian astronaut to pilot a spacecraft. The first Indian on space was Rakesh Sharma in 1984, but he did not pilot any spacecraft.
Soon after the launch, after around 15 minutes, the astronauts changed out of their space suits to their casual attire and had their first meal in outer space, as per the scheduled plan prepared by NASA, SpaceX, Axiom Space and ISRO. The docking of the Dragon into the ISS is scheduled to take place 28 and half hours after the launch of the mission on Thursday.
As a part of the mission preparedness, the astronauts were in quarantine since May 25, for four weeks. This is the first time the astronauts have been on such a long quarantine period, the longest was during the Apollo Moon mission (three weeks).
Speaking at the sidelines of the launch, Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, said, each on the astronauts have learnt a lot during the training. The hands on experience each astronaut has had and the learning each one has shared with each other during the training, will help in future scientific missions.
As a part of the mission, the four astronauts will carry out 60 experiments, seven of which will be conducted by Shukla. Including study on stem cell and crop seeds. The list of experiments the astronauts will undertake are from 31 countries including Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, Hungary, U.S, Poland and others.
The studies are aimed to increase knowledge in human research, use of AI tools, biological and material research and test human capabilities in space. The astronauts will also conduct live interactive sessions and classes with students and experts. Shukla is also scheduled to have a live interaction from the ISS with an Indian VIP.