By Rakesh sarkar 
The successful launch of Axiom-4 (Ax-4), a multi-national crewed space mission that includes an Indian astronaut, has Indians in a festive mood. As the mission’s pilot, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has made history as the second Indian to reach space.
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Shubhanshu shukla will become the first Indian to visit NASA’s orbiting lab when the spacecraft docks with the ISS in a little more than 26 hours. Forty-one years have passed since Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 trip on board the Soviet Soyuz. With a crew that includes astronauts from several nations, the voyage took out from Axiom Space at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Experienced astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has led the ISS twice and spent more than 675 days in space, will accompany Shukla, along with crew members fromPoland as well. Ax-4 launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday at 2:31 a.m. EDT (6:31 a.m. GMT/12:01 p.m. IST).
This was a commercial mission run by Houston-based Axiom Space in cooperation with NASA, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), ESAs, and SpaceX.
5m.economictimes.com+5timesofindia.indiatimes.com+5malayalam.samayam.com+15houstonchronicle.com+15timesofindia.indiatimes.com+15ndtv.com+6hindustantimes.com+6timesofindia.indiatimes.com+6indiatimes.com+5. The astronauts were quarantined for weeks prior to takeoff. India is quite interested in this mission, especially since ISRO said that the knowledge and information Shukla will acquire on board the ISS will be extremely helpful for India’s future space initiatives.shubhanshu Shukla, 39, was one of four Indian Air Force officers picked last year to participate in the nation’s first crewed space mission, which is set for 2027. Additionally, India is aggressively getting ready to deploy its own space station by 2035 and, by 2040, deploy humans to the moon. University ISRO spent approximately ₹5 billion (~$59 million / £43 million) to guarantee his spot on Ax-4. Grouphttps://www.google.comShukla sent a message for India just minutes after takeoff: “It’s been an amazing journey—we’re back in space after 41 years. We are currently orbiting the planet at 7.5 km/s. On my shoulder, I hold the Indian flag. This marks the beginning of India’s age of human spaceflight, not simply my journey aboard the ISS. I extend an invitation to all Indians to join me on this adventure. I’m thrilled and proud.
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The Indian astronaut “carries the wishes, hopes, and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians,” said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who praised the successful launch.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s parents saw the launch with hundreds of students in his birthplace of Lucknow. When the rocket took off, everyone cheered and danced bhangra, tears of pride welling in their eyes as a band performed to commemorate their arrival at the school.bor in Lucknow on October 10, 1985. became a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force in 2006. has more than 2,000 flying hours on aircraft like the Jaguar, Hawk, Su-30, MiG, and Dornier.His parents started shouting and dancing bhangra with their other school community members after his mother shed tears of happiness and bowed her hands in prayer as the rocket carrying him to the International Space Station shot aloft.
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The Ax-4 crew will represent 31 nations over the course of the next 14 days, doing almost 60 scientific activities and experiments. This is Axiom Space’s most research-focused mission to date, demonstrating a strong international partnership and dedication to improving low-Earth orbit science. Shubhanshu shukla’s team will share their voyage and encourage the upcoming generation of explorers by engaging in media, educational, and outreach initiatives in addition to their study. The Ax-4 astronauts will spend their first full day on board the ISS acclimating to their new surroundings and finishing necessary setup procedures before jumping into their heavy program.The crew of Expedition 73 has started to get used to living in microgravity. They also finished several crucial operational duties, including as going over emergency procedures and unpacking Dragon spacecraft cargo.