The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission crew, including Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday. The SpaceX Dragon capsule Grace achieved soft capture at 4:01 pm IST over the North Atlantic Ocean, NASA said. The docking sequence was completed by 4:15 pm. A live video link from the space agency also showed the spacecraft approaching the space station.
“It is a privilege to be among the few who have had the chance to see the earth from such a vantage point. It’s been a wonderful ride,” said Shukla, who received astronaut pin number 634 at the ISS from Mission Commander Peggy Whitson.
All the Ax-4 astronauts were greeted with handshakes and hugs by the seven Expedition 73 crewmates, taking the total count of humans at the ISS to 11.
Wearing a wide grin, the 39-year-old Indian Air Force pilot said that whatever expectations he had of visiting space were "surpassed by the view itself."
“I am confident the next 14 days will be amazing, advancing science, research, and working with the crew,” Shukla radioed from the ISS.
The private astronauts will spend about two weeks aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting an overall mission consisting of science, outreach, and commercial activities. It has been 41 years since Rakesh Sharma's historic Soviet spaceflight in 1984. Shukla became the second Indian to travel to space, marking India's return to human spaceflight after a long gap.
The US space agency, in a statement, said the Dragon spacecraft was ahead of its schedule and autonomously docked at the space-facing port of the space station’s Harmony module.
Over the next 14 days, Shukla and the crew, including NASA veteran Whitson, Poland’s Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, will conduct over 60 scientific experiments from 31 countries aboard the ISS.
ISRO has sent seven Indian experiments aboard the mission, targeting biological processes, crop growth, and technology use in microgravity. Among them is crop seed and microalgae growth, where Shukla will test moong, methi, and microalgae for food and sustainability. Experiments on muscle stem cells in weightlessness and how astronauts interact with screens in microgravity will also be conducted.
The private mission acts as a learning curve for India as it plans its first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, for 2027.
“It is a privilege to be among the few who have had the chance to see the earth from such a vantage point. It’s been a wonderful ride,” said Shukla, who received astronaut pin number 634 at the ISS from Mission Commander Peggy Whitson.
All the Ax-4 astronauts were greeted with handshakes and hugs by the seven Expedition 73 crewmates, taking the total count of humans at the ISS to 11.
Wearing a wide grin, the 39-year-old Indian Air Force pilot said that whatever expectations he had of visiting space were "surpassed by the view itself."
“I am confident the next 14 days will be amazing, advancing science, research, and working with the crew,” Shukla radioed from the ISS.
The private astronauts will spend about two weeks aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting an overall mission consisting of science, outreach, and commercial activities. It has been 41 years since Rakesh Sharma's historic Soviet spaceflight in 1984. Shukla became the second Indian to travel to space, marking India's return to human spaceflight after a long gap.
The US space agency, in a statement, said the Dragon spacecraft was ahead of its schedule and autonomously docked at the space-facing port of the space station’s Harmony module.
Over the next 14 days, Shukla and the crew, including NASA veteran Whitson, Poland’s Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, will conduct over 60 scientific experiments from 31 countries aboard the ISS.
ISRO has sent seven Indian experiments aboard the mission, targeting biological processes, crop growth, and technology use in microgravity. Among them is crop seed and microalgae growth, where Shukla will test moong, methi, and microalgae for food and sustainability. Experiments on muscle stem cells in weightlessness and how astronauts interact with screens in microgravity will also be conducted.
The private mission acts as a learning curve for India as it plans its first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, for 2027.
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