Chennai, Apr 30 (UNI) The much-awaited Axiom-4 AX-4 International Space Station (ISS) mission

to be piloted by Indian astronaut Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla, will take place on May 29.

This milestone will herald India’s return to human spaceflight after more than four decades, after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic 1984 mission aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.

In a social media post, Axiom Space wrote "Mark your calendars. The #Ax4 crew is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on May 29 at 1:03pm EDT from Florida."

NASA Space Operations also wrote on X "Axiom Mission 4, the fourth private astronaut mission to

the @Space_Station, is targeted to launch no earlier than 1:03 p.m. EDT, Thursday, May 29, from @NASAKennedy in Florida."

"Private astronaut missions to the station help pave the way toward NASA’s efforts in developing a thriving low Earth orbit economy.", it said.

ISRO, which will carry out seven microgravity research experiments, said this mission with ISRO's Gaganyatri marks the visit of first Indian ever to the International Space Station (ISS).During this

mission, ISRO's Gaganyatri will carry out seven shortlisted Indian microgravity research experiments onboard ISS.

Apart from the Indian Astronaut, the other astronauts on board for ISS mission were Ms.Peggy Whitson of US, as Commander, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland (second astronaut since

1978) and Tibor Kapu of Hungary as co-pilots.

Peggy Whitson will command her second commercial human spaceflight mission, adding to her standing record for the longest cumulative time in space by an American astronaut.

The Ax-4 mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years.

While Ax-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first

time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.

This historic mission underscores how Axiom Space is redefining the pathway to low-Earth orbit

and elevating national space programs globally, Axiom Space said.

The duration of the mission is 14 days docked in ISS.

With a culturally diverse crew, we are not only advancing scientific knowledge but also fostering international collaboration. Our previous missions set the stage and with Ax-4, we ascend even

higher, bringing more nations to low-Earth orbit and expanding humanity’s reach among the stars”, Peggy Whitson, Ax-4 Mission Commander said.

The Ax-4 research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing

31 countries, including the U.S., India (seven experiments), Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe.

This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date, underscoring the mission's global significance

and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO).

The mission emphasizes scientific portfolios led by the U.S., India, Poland (in partnership with ESA), and Hungary and aims to boost participation in these countries by involving diverse stakeholders, showcasing the value of microgravity research, and fostering international collaboration.

The studies will enhance global knowledge in human research, Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences, demonstrating the space research capabilities of the crew's home nations.

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