Axiom-4 Mission Set for June 25 Launch with 90% Favorable Weather; ISRO’s Shubhanshu Shukla to Pilot SpaceX Dragon to ISS
After facing multiple delays, the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is now on track for launch on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, with SpaceX announcing that weather conditions are 90% favorable for liftoff. The mission, organized by NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX, marks the fourth private astronaut flight to the International Space Station (ISS) and is scheduled for liftoff at 12:01 p.m. IST from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The crew will fly aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, launched on a Falcon 9 rocket. Commanding the mission is former NASA astronaut and current Axiom Space human spaceflight director Peggy Whitson. Notably, ISRO astronaut and Indian Air Force officer Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the mission’s pilot, making history as the first ISRO astronaut to travel to the ISS under the NASA-ISRO space cooperation framework.
Also joining the mission are mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, representing the European Space Agency (ESA), and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, flying under the HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) initiative. The Dragon capsule is expected to dock with the ISS at approximately 4:30 p.m. IST on Thursday, June 26.
The mission had been delayed several times due to bad weather, a leak in the Falcon 9 rocket, and issues with the Russian Zvezda service module on the ISS. After coordination between NASA and Roscosmos, repairs were completed, clearing the way for launch.
Ax-4 is part of a broader collaboration that includes five joint science investigations and two STEM demonstrations in orbit. During their roughly two-week stay aboard the ISS, the private astronauts will engage in scientific research, educational outreach, and commercial activities.
This mission also fulfills a strategic goal announced by former U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send an ISRO astronaut to the ISS, underscoring the growing partnership between the two spacefaring nations.
