NEW YORK — ISRO
astronaut and Indian Air Force (IAF) officer, Shubhanshu Shukla, will take on
the role of pilot on the Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, that will go to the
International Space Station (ISS) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida no
earlier than Spring 2025, the US space agency said on Thursday.
Shukla will make history as the first Indian astronaut to
visit the orbiting laboratory aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. A serving
officer in the IAF, he has also been chosen as an astronaut for India’s
Gaganyaan Mission.
Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and Director of human
spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO
(Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shukla will serve as pilot, said
NASA.
The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency)
project astronaut Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of
Hungary.
"I am excited to see continued interest and dedication
for the private astronaut missions aboard the International Space
Station," said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s International Space Station
Program at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
"As NASA looks toward the future of low Earth orbit,
private astronaut missions help pave the way and expand access to the unique
microgravity environment," said the US space agency.
The first private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom
Mission 1, lifted off in April 2022 for a 17-day mission aboard the orbiting
laboratory. The second private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission
2, also was commanded by Whitson and launched in May 2023 with four private
astronauts who spent eight days in orbit. The most recent private astronaut
mission, Axiom Mission 3, launched in January 2024; the crew spent 18 days
docked to the space station.
"Working with the talented and diverse Ax-4 crew has
been a deeply rewarding experience," said Whitson.
"Witnessing their selfless dedication and commitment to
expanding horizons and creating opportunities for their nations in space
exploration is truly remarkable. Each crew member brings unique strengths and
perspectives, making our mission not just a scientific endeavour, but a
testament to human ingenuity and teamwork," Whitson added.
Meanwhile, NASA on Thursday said it is "working
expeditiously" along with SpaceX to safely bring back Indian-origin
astronaut Sunita Williams and astronaut Butch Willmore, currently stuck in the
International Space Station (ISS) for 238 days.
NASA said this after billionaire and SpaceX founder Elon
Musk stated that US President Donald Trump had asked him to facilitate the
return of both Williams and Wilmore as soon as possible.
