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Shubhanshu Shukla will launch into space on June 11, marking India's return to human spaceflight after 41 years, in a mission that aims to advance its space ambitions. Here's where you can watch the launch, why it was delayed and other details.
Indian Air Force officer Shubhanshu Shukla is set to create history by piloting the highly anticipated Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station (ISS) tomorrow, on June 11.
According to a NASA statement, Shubhanshu Shukla will pilot the agency's mission to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on June 11 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Shukla's hometown of Lucknow is filled with posters wishing the local boy luck on his space mission, according to a Bloomberg report.
Why was the Ax-4 mission delayed?
In a post on June 9, the Indian Space Reserch Organisation (ISRO) said that the mission which was originally scheduled to be launched on June 10 (today), has been rescheduled to June 11 (tommorow) due to unfavourable weather conditions.
“Launch of Axiom-4 mission to International Space Station: Due to weather conditions, the launch of Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to International Space Station is postponed from 10th June 2025 to 11th June 2025. The targeted time of launch is 5:30 PM IST on 11th June 2025: Dr V Narayanan, Chairman ISRO/ Secretary DOS / Chairman Space Commission,” it wrote.
When and where to watch Ax-4 launch live?
The Ax-4 mission is set to launch at 8 am ET, which for Indian vieweres is 5.30 pm IST on June 11. Most live streams will begin at least two hours before the launch.
- The Axiom and SpaceX twitter accounts, will likely post live updates and videos on their official pages.
- You can also watch video livestreams on the NASA website or NASA+ app from 4.55 pm IST.
- Axiom Space YouTube page will also livestream the launch.
- SpaceX will likely post a livestream on its X page.
History in making: Shubhanshu Shukla to become first Indian to visit ISS
He will have the distinction of being the first Indian in history to visit the ISS and the second Indian in space after astronaut Rakesh Sharma's voyage aboard the USSR's Soyuz T-11 mission in 1984.
Notably, Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel to space under the Soviet Interkosmos programme.
Now, 41 years later, Shubhanshu Shukla, will be part of a four-member crew comprising Commander Peggy Whitson of the US, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The team will spend 14 days at the ISS.
Mission ‘opening act’ for India's space ambitions
The BB report noted that this mission marks the “opening act” in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's space ambitions for India — with plans including a crewed space mission by 2027, a crewed lunar mission by 2030, set up India's own space station by 2035, and land an Indian astronaut on the surface of the moon by 2040.
Notably, in 2023, ISRO successfully landed a robotic spacecraft near the moon's south pole.
English (US) ·