All Eyes On June 19: Axiom's India-Backed Rs 550-Crore Astronaut Mission Cleared For Liftoff
The update came from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which confirmed that the issues delaying the launch have been addressed through a coordinated effort involving Axiom Space, SpaceX and NASA.
This mission, India's first foray into commercial spaceflight with Axiom, is symbolic for more than one reason. It marks the country's growing presence in global human spaceflight and also reaffirms the trust placed in international collaboration when things do not go as planned.
Originally scheduled for May 29, the mission had to be pushed back several times due to a mix of technical glitches and weather-related complications. One delay came after a liquid oxygen leak was discovered during a pre-launch check on the Falcon 9 rocket.
Another was triggered by a pressure anomaly aboard the International Space Station (ISS), where the astronauts will be staying for 14 days. Yet through every twist, engineers and mission planners chose caution over compromise.
'Postponement was the right call. When human lives are involved, every variable must be triple-checked,' said ISRO Chairman Dr. V Narayanan in an earlier statement.
The recent coordination between ISRO, Axiom and SpaceX confirmed that the Falcon 9 rocket is now launch-ready. The liquid oxygen leak has been successfully resolved, and preparations are underway for a new liftoff window.
While Axiom, NASA, and SpaceX have not officially announced June 19, ISRO has said the target date stands unless there is another last-minute development.
Also known as Ax-04 or informally as Mission Akash Ganga, Axiom's fourth mission is a important step for India. The country has invested Rs 550 crore to secure a seat for Group Captain Shukla, who would become the second Indian astronaut in history to go to space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984.
The all-international crew includes seasoned astronaut Dr. Peggy Whitson – who holds the American record for most cumulative days in space – as mission commander. Joining her are mission specialists from Poland and Hungary.
Shukla, who serves as the pilot, will contribute to scientific experiments as well as participate in an educational outreach initiative – connecting with people back on Earth from orbit.
During their time at the ISS, the crew is expected to carry out over 60 scientific experiments, including seven designed by Indian researchers. These projects span areas like space medicine, microgravity materials and life-support systems.
Group Captain Shukla is currently in quarantine, healthy and ready for what could be the defining journey of his life.
This mission, in many ways, represents something bigger than just one astronaut's voyage. It is a reflection of India's emerging role in commercial human spaceflight and Axiom Space's commitment to making space more accessible, one launch at a time.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
24 minutes ago
- News18
From Aryabhata To Gaganyaan: A Timeline Of ISRO's Key Milestones In PICS
1/10 1975: ISRO launched its first satellite, Aryabhatta, making India's entry into space exploration. (Image: ISRO) 1980: The space organisation successfully launched the SLV-3, making India the seventh country to achieve orbital launches. (Image: X) 1982: It launched INSAT-1A, the first satellite in the Indian National Satellite System. (Image: X) 1994: The year marks the successful launch of IRS-P2 using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). (Image: X) 2008: India's first lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 was successfully launched. It discovered water molecule in the moon. (Image: X) 2013: India became the first country to reach Mars with the successful launch of Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission). ISRO was the fourth space agency globally to do so. (Image: Wikimedia Commons) 2019: ISRO launched Chandrayaan-2 to land near the southern pole of the Moon; however, the lander lost contact during descent. (File Pic) 2023: Successfully launched Chandrayaan-3, achieving a soft landing on the Moon's south pole on August 23, 2023. The mission made India the first country to achieve a soft landing in that region. (Image: X) 2023: Just weeks after Chandrayaan-3, ISRO launched Aditya-L1 on September 2, 2023. It is India's first space-based solar observatory designed to study the outer atmosphere of the Sun, specifically its corona. (File Pic)
The Hindu
42 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Shubhanshu Shukla undergoing rehabilitation to mitigate any adverse effect of microgravity: ISRO
Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla who returned to earth on July 15 after spending 18 days in the International Space Station as part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) mission is undergoing a week-long rehabilitation programme to mitigate any adverse effect of microgravity. According to ISRO after Group Captain Shukla was extracted by SpaceX's recovery teams on July 15 and preliminary health checks were carried out at the recovery ship. 'Initial health assessments indicated that Gaganyatri Shukla was in stable condition with no immediate concerns reported. He was airlifted by helicopter from the recovery ship to the mainland for further medical evaluations and debriefing sessions,' ISRO said on Thursday. It further added that the Indian astronaut was flown to Houston for a week-long rehabilitation programme to mitigate any adverse effect of microgravity. 'This is being administered by Axiom's flight surgeon and ISRO's flight surgeon is also participating in this program. This includes a series of medical checks especially cardiovascular assessments, musculoskeletal tests psychological debrief. The rehabilitation activities of Gaganyatri focus on monitoring physical and mental health, addressing any effects of microgravity, and preparing him for a return to normal activities,' ISRO said. Shubhanshu Shukla meets his family Group Captain Shukla also met his family members at Houston. Group Captain Shukla, who is the pilot for the Ax-4 mission is the first Indian to go to the ISS. He along with his Commander Peggy Whitson of the U.S., Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary spend 18 days in the ISS before heading back home onboard a SpaceX Dragon which splashed down off the coast of San Diego in the United States on July 15. During the stay at the ISS the crew completed over 60 research activities and 23 outreach events.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Stalled by inertia: Why skill-based subjects remain out of reach for most students, ETEducation
By Praveen Prakash IAS (1994-2024) Advt Advt Every June, a familiar anxiety grips lakhs of Indian households. A teenager stares at a list of subjects, unsure what to pick. A parent, equally confused, tries to help. But neither has the tools to answer the real question: What am I good at and what will the world value five years from now?This decision, which can shape a student's entire academic and professional future, is often made in a vacuum of data, guidance, and to U-DISE+ data for 2023–24, over 2.8 crore students were enrolled in Classes 11 and 12 across boards in India. Yet, the subjects they studied remain disappointingly narrow in scope and alienated from the evolving realities of the professional Central Board of Secondary Education ( CBSE ) officially offers 80+ elective subjects for classes 11 and 12. However, a majority of students continue to choose from a narrow band of 10-15 conventional subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Commerce, History, is not preference; it's a function of access. Most schools, especially in rural areas and tier 2 and 3 cities cannot afford the teachers or infrastructure to offer newer, skill-based courses like Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Financial Management, Legal Studies, or Design. This trend continues in urban areas as well simply because schools are unable to hire full-time teachers for all the elective subjects, hampering students' access to new age subjects that could give them an edge in higher education and even further in their makes this more troubling is that boards already possess the diagnostic tools to guide students better. Through eight formative and four summative assessments across classes 9 and 10, schools gather comprehensive performance data that is broken down by sub-topic, cognitive skill, and interest this data sits we leverage this information, we could derive each student's natural aptitude and affinity for a subject. For example, a student consistently scoring high in statistics, data handling, and logical reasoning is likely to thrive in data science. Why not use this to recommend a subject in class 11, which is a professional or skill-based one and aligns with the student's potential?Top institutions globally are already paving the path. Universities like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT offer credit-eligible online courses through platforms like edX and other third party platforms, which students can pursue alongside school. Even in India, institutes like IIT Madras are offering fully online programs like their BS degree with over 30,000 students currently enrolled in the college students can earn full degrees online, and if lakhs of NEET and JEE aspirants can crack competitive exams through edtech platforms from villages, is it truly impossible for a Class 11 student to take one online elective, especially when that subject might define their career?We must do away with the mandate that schools hire full-time teachers for each elective subject. Instead, boards should launch white-labelled online platforms, a la CBSE-X, Rajasthan-X, Maharashtra-X and partner with vetted edtechs to deliver these electives online. Boards retain academic oversight, certification rights, and ensure content quality. Edtech partners provide platforms, digital pedagogy, and content delivery. This approach solves the three key problems of access, aptitude-based learning, and professional world is changing. Skill-based subjects like entrepreneurship, AI, legal studies, etc. are no longer luxuries. They are now pre-requisites for rewarding careers. By refusing to evolve, boards do a disservice to our brightest students by pushing them towards rigid and outdated academic cannot continue to be custodians of an obsolete system. This is not about technology vs tradition. It is about meeting our students where their future is headed.
