NANDKUMAR M. KAMAT
India stands poised at the edge of a transformative moment in its space journey as group captain Shubhanshu Shukla prepares to become the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station. This marks the nation’s return to human spaceflight after more than four decades since Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission to the Soviet Salyut 7 space station, a milestone that had remained unmatched in Indian space history until now.
While the Ax-4 mission was initially targeted for launch on June 10, 2025, it was subsequently delayed first due to adverse weather conditions and then postponed further after the detection of a liquid oxygen (LOx) leak during the static fire test of the Falcon 9 first-stage booster. The engineers at SpaceX identified the LOx leak as a potentially hazardous anomaly resulting either from thermal contraction, seal fatigue, or microfractures in the cryogenic delivery lines, prompting a comprehensive inspection cycle that includes disassembly of the affected joint interfaces, seal replacements, requalification through pressure and vibration testing, booster repressurisation cycles, and renewed functional validation to ensure both the integrity of the propulsion system and absolute safety for the four-person crew. Although no new launch date has been confirmed as of the time of finalising this article, it is reassuring to note that the full Ax-4 launch window remains open until June 30.
Through a unique collaboration with Axiom Space, SpaceX, and NASA, an Indian citizen trained under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Programme is set to embark on a mission that symbolises the integration of Indian science, international cooperation, and commercial human spaceflight, with Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) envisioned as a 14-day orbital research expedition to the ISS aboard the reusable SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule launched by the Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
Shukla will join commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut with extensive cumulative spaceflight experience, and two mission specialists from Hungary and Poland, forming an international scientific cohort. Their objectives span biotechnology, agricultural research, astrobiology, life support validation, and space medicine, with particular emphasis on seven India-developed experiments coordinated by the Indian Space Research Organisation and premier academic and biotechnology institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (InStem), National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), and others.
Experiments include investigations into microgravity-induced muscle regeneration using nutritional supplements, growth behaviour and stress responses of microalgae and cyanobacteria as potential space-based oxygen producers and food sources, viability and gene expression in tardigrades to assess radiation and vacuum survival, real-time neural interface testing via visual display adaptation, and the sprouting of staple food crop seeds under orbital conditions to support closed-loop life support systems for long-duration missions. This may directly inform India’s own indigenous Gaganyaan programme, a crewed orbital mission currently scheduled for uncrewed precursor flights by the end of 2025 followed by a manned launch in 2027 utilising the HLVM3 launch vehicle and ISRO’s newly developed crew module, service module, and emergency abort system. It will also align with India’s long-term vision for a Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035, a modular low Earth orbit research facility that will focus on planetary sciences, Earth observation, biomedical studies, materials processing, and national security applications with a fully Indian crew and operations architecture.
While some observers may express concern over the delay, this is in fact a manifestation of rigorous launch governance and a culture of accountability that places crew wellbeing above all else, a principle that bodes well for India as it prepares to operationalise its own human spaceflight capabilities in the years to come. More importantly, this moment serves as an inspiration to young Indians, particularly those aspiring to careers in science, technology, engineering, and aerospace, as the visibility of a uniformed Indian astronaut poised to conduct research aboard the ISS not only energises national pride but also demonstrates the evolving role of Indian science in global knowledge creation, especially as the Ax-4 mission also marks India’s first direct involvement in microgravity research aboard the ISS, an arena dominated so far by countries like the United States, Russia, Japan, and European nations.
Shukla’s role as mission pilot in Ax-4 is not merely ceremonial but operationally significant, involving familiarity with Crew Dragon’s touchscreen command interface, potential docking maneuvers with the Harmony module, payload and telemetry monitoring, zero-gravity environmental adjustments, and potentially emergency handling simulations for systems like fire suppression or cabin depressurisation, experiences that will directly feed into astronaut training modules for future Indian missions and into simulation regimes for the Gaganyaan astronaut pool
Beyond technical training, this opportunity to interface with international scientists, test ISS protocols, and coordinate payload deployment schedules is likely to enhance the diplomatic and institutional readiness of Indian teams engaging in orbital collaborations, making this mission a cornerstone of India’s manned spaceflight roadmap and a signal of intent that the country is ready to scale new heights in space exploration, biomedical innovation, space agriculture, and orbital sustainability.
As the nation awaits the revised launch date, the overwhelming sentiment is one of excitement, pride, and confidence that this delay is a technical precaution, not a failure, and that when the Dragon capsule does eventually lift off with Shubhanshu Shukla aboard, it will not just carry a scientific payload but also the hopes, aspirations, and ambitions of 1.46 billion Indians eager to see their flag represented not just on the ground but 400 kilometers above Earth’s surface, in a laboratory that orbits the planet every 90 minutes, in a mission that brings India’s space dreams one giant leap closer to reality.
It serves as a stepping stone toward establishing a robust Indian orbital presence through indigenous infrastructure, collaborative missions, and a clear articulation of peaceful space exploration as a sovereign scientific pursuit. The significance of India’s participation in the Ax-4 mission is best appreciated in the context of the evolving architecture of global space stations and India’s deliberate repositioning within that framework. The International Space Station, jointly operated by NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and CSA, is nearing the end of its operational life and is expected to be decommissioned by the end of the decade. Meanwhile the United States, through NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations initiative, is funding several private efforts including Axiom Station, Orbital Reef, and Starlab, each designed to replace the ISS with a new generation of modular, commercially-managed research and manufacturing facilities.
Among these, Axiom Station is currently the most advanced, with its initial modules scheduled to be attached to the ISS by 2026 and later detached as a standalone facility. India’s early participation via Ax-4 serves as a prelude to greater involvement in post-ISS operations, and also strengthens bilateral and multilateral partnerships in orbital logistics, space station services, and science management. Domestically, ISRO’s engagement with Ax-4 lays the foundation for procedural integration, astronaut support protocols, and space station module design strategy, all of which are critical for the proposed Bharatiya Antariksh Station.
From the perspective of long-term space capability development, Shukla’s mission provides real-time validation of India’s astronaut training regimen, biomedical payload design, telemetry integration, and international compatibility—capabilities that can significantly accelerate India’s timeline for achieving operational autonomy in space habitation, microgravity research, and low-Earth orbit logistics.
