Axiom mission live updates: Axiom-4 mission carrying Shubhanshu Shukla to launch today from Kennedy Space Center; conditions remain favourable for take-off
Axiom mission live updates: NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are targeting 2:31 a.m. EDT, Wednesday (4 pm IST), June 25, for launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4. Axiom mission live updates: NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are targeting 2:31 a.m. EDT, Wednesday (4 pm IST), June 25, for launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4.The mission will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 7 a.m. Thursday, June 26.NASA had earlier stood down from a proposed launch date of June 22. According to the ISS, additional time is needed to evaluate station operations following recent repair work in the aft segment of the Zvezda service module. Due to the highly interconnected nature of the orbital laboratory's systems, NASA is reviewing relevant data to ensure readiness for the arrival of additional crew members.Highlighting the global significance of the mission, ISS noted that the agencies "appreciate the historic nature of this mission for the nations of India, Poland, and Hungary, as well as the world." Show more Axiom mission live updates: After multiple delays, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others are all set to travel to the International Space Station on Wednesday with SpaceX announcing that the weather was 90 per cent favourable for lift-off."All systems are looking good for Wednesday's launch of @Axiom_Space's Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station and weather is 90% favorable for liftoff," SpaceX, which is providing transport for the space mission, said in a post on X.Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot.The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) astronaut Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Axiom mission live updates: A Group Captain in the Indian Air Force, Shukla was selected to be part of India's astronaut corps in 2019 along with fellow officers Prasanth Balkrishnan Nair, Angad Pratap and Ajit Krishnan for the Gaganyaan mission which is likely to be launched in 2027.Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Shukla did his schooling from City Montessori School before joining the National Defence Academy.He was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2006, and has over 2,000 hours of flying time on a wide range of aircraft including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, and Dornier-228.He holds an MTech in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.Shukla and the three other Gaganyaan astronaut designates underwent extensive training at Russia's Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre and ISRO's Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru.Shukla's crewmates on the Axiom-4 mission, commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, describe him as "operational-savvy", "focussed" and "wicked smart" when it comes to space technologies. Axiom mission live updates: The Axiom-4 mission has run into multiple delays, first on account of inclement weather and then due to leaks detected on SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket and later on the Russian module of the International Space Station.The launch opportunity comes after NASA and Roscosmos officials discussed the status of the recent repair work in the transfer tunnel at the aft (back) most segment of the orbital laboratory's Zvezda service module, NASA said."NASA and Roscosmos have a long history of cooperation and collaboration on the International Space Station. This professional working relationship has allowed the agencies to arrive at a shared technical approach and now Axiom Mission 4 launch and docking will proceed," said acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro.As part of a collaboration between NASA and ISRO, Axiom Mission 4 delivers on a commitment highlighted by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the station, the NASA statement said.The space agencies are participating in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) demonstrations.Once docked, the private astronauts plan to spend about two weeks aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprising science, outreach, and commercial activities. Axiom mission live updates: Shukla is set to conduct exclusive food and nutrition-related experiments developed under a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA.The experiments aim to pioneer space nutrition and self-sustaining life support systems vital for future long-duration space travel.ISRO has lined up a set of seven experiments for Shukla, who will also participate in five joint studies planned by NASA for its human research program.It has drawn up plans to focus on India-centric food for carrying out experiments on the ISS, including sprouting methi (fenugreek) and moong (green gram) in microgravity conditions.Shukla will also expose the seeds to the macrobiotic conditions and bring them back to earth where they will be cultivated into plants not just once but over generations.Shukla's experience on the Axiom Mission 4 would be very well utilised on the ISRO's Gaganyaan space flight mission which is planned for 2027. ISRO is spending Rs 550 crore on the Axiom-4 mission. Axiom mission live updates: NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are targeting 2:31 a.m. EDT, Wednesday (4 pm IST), June 25, for launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4.The mission will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 7 a.m. Thursday, June 26.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Soundcheck! Shux, crew lend voice to help train AI on Earth
In the hushed corridors of the International Space Station (ISS), where human voices float as weightlessly as the bodies that carry them, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and his Ax-4 crewmates are helping decode the science of sound in space — quite literally. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Ax-4 crew recently lent their voices to the 'Voice in Space' study, a pioneering experiment investigating how microgravity alters human speech. Without gravity's usual pull on the lungs, diaphragm, and vocal tract, even subtle changes in vocal fold vibration or tone can occur. Using electroglottography — a non-invasive technique used to measure vocal fold contact during voice production — sensors and a series of scripted vocal tasks, researchers are capturing these shifts to understand how spaceflight affects speech patterns and cognition. Training AI on Earth The aim? To train artificial intelligence systems that can one day monitor astronaut health in real time — and perhaps even enhance voice-based AI technologies back on Earth. This study blends physiology, acoustics, and machine learning. 'This experiment seeks to determine whether the influenced voice pattern and listening capabilities of the participant might be able to be detected by an AI algorithm. Vocal characteristics of an ISS crew member can change in a zero-gravity, and after undergoing cognitive function changes. Measurements of vocal fold vibration provide a quantitative indication of vocal fold function,' as per Axiom Space. Scripted voice audio recordings — reading, singing, vowel enunciation, audio pitch matching— allow for tonal analysis, Axiom said, adding that these data allow the investigator to test and analyse vocal performance and voice pattern changes in space and then evaluate how space journey influences the human voice. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now UltraSound & fabric study But sound wasn't the only thing on the crew's mind. Alongside the voice study, they completed multiple sessions of the 'Cerebral Hemodynamics' investigation — an exploration into how blood flows through the brain in a zero-gravity environment. Without gravity pulling fluids downward, astronauts often experience a fluid shift towards the head. By using ultrasound to monitor these changes, scientists hope to develop better diagnostic tools for cardiovascular and neurological conditions — tools that could serve both astronauts and patients on Earth suffering from stroke, dizziness, or fainting. Also on the roster of the Ax-4 crew is the 'Suit Fabric Study', a technology demonstration examining how clothing behaves in space. This isn't just about comfort — it's about performance. The crew wore sensor-equipped garments during exercise to observe how heat and moisture are managed when convection is no longer at play. 'The findings could inform the design of next-generation space suits — and inspire innovations in thermal wear on Earth, from sports gear to medical textiles,' Axiom added.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Gp Capt. Shukla shares experience of life aboard ISS with students
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is aboard the International Space Station (ISS) had a brief interaction with students who had gathered at the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) here on Friday. He interacted with the student community via ham radio which lasted about 10 minutes. The interaction overseen by the Amateur Radio on the ISS (ARISS) saw the participation of approximately 70 students who posed questions on the Indian astronauts journey to the space station and daily routine in the orbiting laboratory. 'One-and-a-half days (journey to the ISS) and thereafter you get to see the ISS... It was very exciting to see and the entire process of how the capsule approaches the station and then positions itself right in line with the docking port and thereafter goes ahead and docks into the port. It was a very, very exciting moment for me,' Gp Capt. Shukla said replying to a question. His Axiom-4 mission (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS) was launched on June 25, 2025, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After a 28-and-a-half-hour journey on the ISS Dragon spacecraft, Gp Capt. Shukla and other crew members reached ISS. He also spoke about the complex docking process. 'So when we landed in the space station, there were two crew members who were able to reach the docking port. And thereafter you get to see the International Space Station, which is going to be your home for the next 14 days,' he said. The Gp Capt. also spoke about the experiments he has been conducting in the space station and how sleeping is a challenge there. 'We have to tie our sleeping bags,' he said.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Shubhanshu Shukla says excitement to do more experiments posing difficulty to fall asleep
Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to reach the International Space Station (ISS), Friday spoke with Indian students during his first ham radio interaction from onboard the space laboratory. 'The most difficult task is to go to sleep, because of the excitement and wanting to do more and more experiments…,' he said. 'I am doing a lot of experiments and these are challenging and exciting. All of these experiments have been planned by ISRO-NASA. But there are a few that I particularly like, especially the one on stem cells. We know there is limited time (onboard the ISS) but we want to do more and more (experiments). But we need to get rest to do the experiments,' said Shukla, along with demonstrating maneuvers and space-moves to be done to get tasks done. He also showed students his sleeping bag. Shukla was live on ham radio for less than ten minutes when the ISS was passing close to the horizon around 3.47pm on Friday, July 4. The ham radio communication was made to the UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru via telebridge (partly phone-partly ham connection), with the ground station located in Greenbelt, Maryland, US. Shukla was given a set of select questions prepared by students from all over India, who were shortlisted under three categories. Nearly 145 students joined live from Thiruvananthapuram and a similar number connected from Lucknow and Bengaluru. As the ISS orbits the Earth at an average speed of over 27,000 km/hr making 16 orbits/day, the best possible bandwidth for establishing ham radio communication generally lasts for just five to eight minutes. Shukla's voice was filled with excitement as he took on the questions and gave quick, short answers each ending with 'over' — hinting at the next question he was proceeding to take up. Shukla spoke about the ride onboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon on June 25, the tiny capsule, the accelerating speeds and the one-and-a-half days of 'floating' in space till docking at the ISS and how his body faced hardships in adapting to the new conditions in space. The Axiom-4 mission is led by NASA, in partnership with ISRO and the European Space Agency. On the role of this international collaboration, Shukla said: ' I think international collaboration is the key for the success of a mission to the ISS and space. Even for our mission, Axiom-4, ISRO, NASA and ESA… everyone came together to make this mission happen. I have realised the power of global collaboration. Working with many people of different nationalities is an entirely exciting experience. So definitely, global collaboration is the key and I look forward to more such missions.' Indian food also touched 'new heights' with Shukla's Ax-4. He is carrying with him three delicacies – aamaras, moong dal halwa, and gajar halwa. 'These foods were prepared by ISRO in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (ISRO). I shared these foods with everybody and they loved and appreciated it.' The Earth's view from space, Shukla said, was the most beautiful one from onboard the ISS. 'The most exciting part about being in space is looking back at earth from the vantage point. It is big, very beautiful and reminded me of how fortunate we are to be on this planet. It is also a realisation of how important this planet is with everything we have.' Shukla will make the second and final communication using ham radio at 2.08pm on July 8 with the Human Spaceflight Center at the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) in Meghalaya.
