Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, crew to enter quarantine ahead of Axiom-4 launch to International Space Station

Axiom Mission 4 crew (from left to right) European Space Agency astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. File photo: X@NASASpaceOps via PTI

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and other crew members of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station (ISS) are entering quarantine ahead of the scheduled launch on June 8 from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Indian astronaut and crew members were given a send-off by employees of Axiom Space Inc. on Sunday (May 25, 2025).

“Thank you so much for your contribution, I may not know you personally but I understand that it is each one of you that have contributed to this mission being a success and am sure it will be a success,” Group Captain Shukla, the pilot of the Ax-4 mission, told Axiom Space employees.

Also read | Experiments in Axiom mission to ISS to study if diabetics can stay in space

”The #Ax4 crew is on their way to quarantine. Before they go, Axiom Space employees came together to celebrate. Crew Send-off is a tradition that pays tribute to the dedication and tireless efforts of staff prior to the crew embarking on their mission. From #TeamAxiom, Godspeed #Ax4!” Axiom Space said in a post on social media platform X.

The other crew members on the mission are Commander Peggy Whitson of the U.S., Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Ax-4 crew aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

The Ax-4 crew will spend up to 14 days at the orbiting laboratory.

Group Captain Shukla, who is also one of the four astronaut-designates selected for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Gaganyaan mission, will be the first Indian astronaut to reach the ISS, and the first Indian in space after 40 years.