Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shuklas Mission To ISS Postponed Until June 10

The launch of Axiom Area’s mission to the Worldwide Area Station (ISS), which incorporates Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, has been postponed to June 10. The Houston-based non-public area firm knowledgeable in regards to the delay in a put up on X.

“The #Ax4 crew is scheduled to launch to the Worldwide Area Station on June 10 at 8:22 AM EDT from Launch Complicated 39A at @NASAKennedy,” Axiom Area wrote within the put up. 

The #Ax4 crew is scheduled to launch to the Worldwide Area Station on June 10 at 8:22 AM EDT from Launch Complicated 39A at @NASAKennedy. Tune in for the launch broadcast beginning at 6:15 AM EDT. pic.twitter.com/2ACocwFRSQ
— Axiom Area (@Axiom_Space) June 3, 2025

Captain Shukla is a part of the primary workforce of Indian astronauts skilled for human spaceflight, with Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair serving as his designated backup. 

Moreover, in response to ANI, the Ax-4 mission, managed by Axiom Area and launched by way of SpaceX Falcon 9, is a landmark for India’s first astronaut-scientist-led area biology experiments onboard the ISS.

Axiom Area, on Could 15, had posted, “Now focusing on no sooner than Sunday, June 8 for Falcon 9 to launch Ax-4, @Axiom_Space’s fourth mission to the @Space_Station, from pad 39A in Florida.”

Meals, Diet-Associated Experiments

Earlier, on Saturday, Union Minister for Division of Area, Jitendra Singh, had introduced that Astronaut Shukla will conduct unique meals and nutrition-related experiments onboard the ISS as a part of the upcoming Ax-4, a press release from the Ministry of Science and Expertise acknowledged.

Union Minister Singh added that the primary ISS experiment will look at the affect of microgravity and area radiation on edible microalgae, a high-potential, nutrient-rich meals supply. The examine will deal with key development parameters and the adjustments in transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes of assorted algal species in area in comparison with Earth situations.

The second experiment will examine the expansion and proteomic response of cyanobacteria–particularly Spirulina and Synechococcus– below microgravity, utilizing urea- and nitrate-based media. The analysis will consider the potential of Spirulina as an area “superfood” attributable to its excessive protein and vitamin content material, assess the feasibility of utilizing nitrogen sources derived from human waste, akin to urea, for cyanobacterial development, and examine the consequences of microgravity on mobile metabolism and organic effectivity. 

Who Is Shubhanshu Shukla?

Group Captain Shukla would be the first astronaut from the ISRO to go to the station as a part of a joint effort between NASA and the Indian area company. He will even be India’s second nationwide astronaut to go to area since Rakesh Sharma in 1984. 

The IAF pilot is among the many astronauts chosen for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission, India’s first human area flight. He was promoted to group captain in March of 2024. 

As soon as docked on the ISS, the non-public astronauts plan to spend as much as 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprised of science, outreach, and industrial actions, ANI reported.

Other than Group Captain Shukla, the mission additionally carries two mission specialists – European Area Company (ESA) undertaking astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary to remain aboard the area station. 

As well as, Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Area, will command the industrial mission.

(with ANI inputs)