⁠Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom 4 Mission: Launch Date, Time, Mission Objectives, Live Streaming Details And More

The Ax-4 mission is set to launch from the Kennedy Space Center, marking another significant milestone in private spaceflight. Spearheaded by Axiom Space, this mission features an international crew comprising astronauts from the United States, India, Poland and Hungary, making the mission a symbol of global collaboration in space exploration.

Indian Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, along with three other crew members, will travel to ISS onboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft.

According to Axiom Space, the Ax-4 mission will "realise the return" to human spaceflight for India, Poland and Hungary, with each nation embarking on its first government-sponsored flight in more than four decades.

While this will be only the second human spaceflight mission in history for each of these countries, it will also be the first time all three nations will undertake a mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA, Axiom Space and SpaceX have confirmed that the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS is scheduled for launch at 8 a.m. EDT (5:30 p.m. IST) on Wednesday, June 11.

The launch will take place from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The crew will journey to the ISS aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which will be launched by a Falcon 9 rocket.

Space enthusiasts can follow the launch through a live webcast starting around two hours before liftoff. The stream will be available on the SpaceX website and also through X (formerly Twitter) @SpaceX.

NASA will also provide comprehensive coverage of the launch and docking on NASA+

Axiom Space will live stream the launch on its official YouTube channel as well. Watch here:

The crew will carry out nearly 60 scientific experiments and activities, the highest number for any Axiom mission to date. The studies will represent the collaborative efforts of 31 countries, including India, the United States, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE, and several European nations.

The mission underscores a growing global commitment to advancing microgravity research in low-Earth orbit, with major contributions led by India, the US, Poland (in partnership with the European Space Agency) and Hungary. These countries are spearheading key scientific initiatives aimed at expanding international participation in space research.

The experiments span a wide range of fields, including human health, Earth observation, life sciences, biology and materials science.

Commanding the Ax-4 mission is Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight. Shubhanshu Shukla, an astronaut from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will serve as pilot.

The two mission specialists include ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

This mission stems from a collaborative agreement between NASA and ISRO, fulfilling a commitment made by US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the ISS. The agencies are jointly working on five science investigations and two STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) demonstrations aboard the station.

The Ax-4 flight also carries the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary who will stay aboard the ISS.