'Touch The Sky With Glory': Indian Air Force Wishes Shubhanshu Shukla Ahead Of Axiom-4 Launch

As the Axiom-4 mission is set for liftoff, the Indian Air Force has given a big shout-out to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an astronaut from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), heading to the International Space Station (ISS). Shubhanshu Shukla is part of the four-member crew scheduled to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center on June 11.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Indian Air Force expressed pride and support for Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission, stating, "As Group Captain Shubahanshu Shukla prepares to embark on Axiom-4 space mission tomorrow, Chief of the Air Staff and all Air Warriors of IAF wish him and the entire crew of Axiom-4 all the best for a safe and successful trip to the International Space Station. This will add a new chapter to the Indian Space Odyssey. Touch the sky with glory!"

The Ax-4 mission was scheduled for launch at 5:52 p.m. IST on Tuesday (June 10). However, due to bad weather, the lift-off has been postponed.

"Due to weather conditions, the launch of the Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to the International Space Station is postponed from 10th June 2025 to 11th June 2025," ISRO said in a post on X.

The launch has now been rescheduled to 5:30 p.m. IST on June 11.

The mission, spearheaded by Axiom Space, marks the fourth private astronaut flight to the ISS and features astronauts from India, the United States, Poland and Hungary. This is also the first time India, Poland and Hungary will participate in a mission aboard the ISS, making Ax-4 a milestone for all three nations.

Peggy Whitson, an astronaut and Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight, will command the mission. Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as the pilot, while Poland’s Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu join as mission specialists under the European Space Agency framework.

Viewers around the world can follow the launch through a live webcast on the SpaceX website and through @SpaceX on X. NASA will also stream the liftoff on its digital platform, NASA+.

Scientific exploration is central to the Ax-4 mission. The crew will undertake nearly 60 experiments — the highest for any Axiom mission to date — representing the efforts of 31 countries, including India, the US, Hungary, Poland, Brazil, the UAE, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. These studies will span human health, materials science, biology, Earth observation and life sciences, furthering global collaboration in microgravity research.

India, along with Poland, Hungary and the US, is leading several of these scientific initiatives, reinforcing its growing role in international space exploration.

As Shubhanshu Shukla prepares to head to the ISS, his journey symbolises a proud moment for India’s space and defence communities.