Delhi, 10 June (H.S.): Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is poised to make history as India's first astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission, organized by ISRO, scheduled for June 11. He is the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma's mission aboard the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in 1984. Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh has expressed his best wishes for Shukla's journey.

The Ax-4 mission, which has been delayed to June 11 at 5:30 PM due to adverse weather, signifies a key milestone in India's cooperation with NASA. This mission features a diverse crew from India, Poland, and Hungary, all making their inaugural trips to the ISS. Axiom Space has noted that Ax-4 is India's second government-backed human spaceflight effort in 40 years. Alongside Shukla, Polish astronaut Sławoj Uźmanowski and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapp will participate, joining the crew led by experienced astronaut Peggy Whitson, marking her second commercial human spaceflight.

Fully prepared, Shukla has received congratulations from the Air Force Chief and his fellow air warriors. He praised his crew members, expressing confidence in their capability for this momentous flight.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar