Indian Gaganyatri's historic ISS journey is rescheduled for 11 June

The highly anticipated Axiom-4 mission, set to carry an Indian Gaganyatri  Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS), has been rescheduled from its original June 10 launch date to potentially 11 June 2025 at 5:30 IST. Adverse weather conditions at Florida's Kennedy Space Centre have prompted the delay, as confirmed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Launch of Axiom-4 mission to International Space Station:

Due to weather conditions, the launch of Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to International Space Station is postponed from 10th June 2025 to 11th June 2025.

The targeted time of launch is 5:30 PM IST on 11th…

— ISRO (@isro) June 9, 2025

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force pilot and one of the chosen astronauts for India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission, will be part of a four-member international crew on this commercial spaceflight facilitated by Axiom Space, in partnership with NASA and SpaceX.

ISRO's strategic investment and experimental horizon

This mission marks a significant milestone for India's burgeoning human spaceflight ambitions, with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla poised to become the first Indian to visit the ISS and only the second Indian in space.

Although India's participation in the Axiom-4 mission is not merely symbolic, it represents a strategic investment by ISRO to accelerate its human spaceflight capabilities. The Indian government has reportedly allocated Rs. 550 crore for India's involvement in the Axiom-4 mission.

During his roughly two-week stay on the ISS, Group Captain Shukla will conduct a series of India-specific experiments, meticulously designed by ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from NASA. These experiments are vital for understanding the nuances of human survival and scientific research in microgravity, directly feeding into the Gaganyaan mission.

Paving the path for Gaganyaan

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's journey to the ISS is a critical precursor to India's much-anticipated Gaganyaan mission. The experiences and data gathered from this Axiom-4 flight will serve as invaluable learning for ISRO as it fine-tunes its own human-rated spacecraft and life-support systems.

The Gaganyaan program, which aims to send a crew of three Indian astronauts to a 400-km low-Earth orbit for a three-day mission and ensure their safe return, is now targeted for the first quarter of 2027. While earlier planned for 2022, delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the complex nature of developing indigenous human spaceflight technologies have shifted the timeline. The insights from Axiom-4 will help ISRO in several ways:

• Astronaut Training and Adaptation: Shukla's direct experience of living and working in microgravity will provide practical feedback for refining future Gaganyatri training modules.
• System Validation: The performance of India-developed experiments and observations on the ISS will help validate the robustness and efficiency of various sub-systems crucial for Gaganyaan.
• Operational Procedures: Understanding the daily routines, emergency protocols, and communication dynamics on the ISS will inform the development of comprehensive operational procedures for India's own human spaceflight missions.
• International Collaboration: This mission strengthens India's collaborative ties with global space agencies, fostering knowledge exchange and opening avenues for future joint ventures in space exploration, including India's own planned space station by 2035.

As the world awaits the rescheduled launch of Axiom-4, India stands at the precipice of a new era in space exploration. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's mission is a giant leap forward for India's aspirations to become a leading force in human spaceflight, with the Gaganyaan mission as its ultimate destination.