Cape Canaveral: ISRO astronaut and Indian Air Force (IAF) officer Shubhanshu Shukla has been selected as the pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a private spaceflight set to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) no earlier than spring 2025, NASA announced Thursday.
Shukla will become the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. A serving officer in the IAF, he is also one of the astronauts chosen for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission.
Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the mission. The crew also includes European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary as mission specialists, NASA said.
“I am excited to see continued interest and dedication toward private astronaut missions aboard the International Space Station,” said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s ISS Program at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA said private astronaut missions play a crucial role in shaping the future of low Earth orbit by expanding access to the microgravity environment.
Axiom Mission 4 is part of Axiom Space’s series of private astronaut missions to the ISS. The first, Ax-1, launched in April 2022, followed by Ax-2 in May 2023 and Ax-3 in January 2024.
Whitson, who has commanded two previous Axiom missions, said working with the Ax-4 crew has been a “deeply rewarding experience.”
“Witnessing their selfless dedication and commitment to expanding horizons and creating opportunities for their nations in space exploration is truly remarkable,” she said.
Meanwhile, NASA said Thursday it is “working expeditiously” with SpaceX to safely bring back Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and astronaut Butch Wilmore, who have been aboard the ISS for 238 days.
NASA’s statement followed SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s claim that former U.S. President Donald Trump had asked him to expedite their return.
IANS
