After several postponements, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others are ready to head to the International Space Station on Wednesday (June 25, 2025), as SpaceX has reported that the weather conditions are 90% favorable for launch.

“Everything’s looking great for the launch of @Axiom_Space’s Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station on Wednesday (June 25, 2025), with a 90% chance of good weather for liftoff”,SpaceX mentioned in a post on X.

NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are aiming for a launch time of 12.01 p.m. (IST) on Wednesday (June 25, 2025) for the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, known as Axiom Mission 4, according to NASA.

The mission is set to launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. After taking off on the Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX, the crew will head to the orbiting lab aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

According to NASA’s statement, the expected docking time is around 4:30 p.m. IST on Thursday, June 26, 2025.

Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and the director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will be in charge of the commercial mission, while ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will take on the role of pilot.

The two mission specialists include Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, who is an astronaut for the ESA (European Space Agency) project, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, representing the HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) program.

The Axiom-4 mission has faced several delays, initially due to bad weather and subsequently because of leaks found on SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket, as well as on the Russian module of the International Space Station.

According to NASA, the launch opportunity follows discussions between NASA and Roscosmos officials regarding the recent repair work in the transfer tunnel located at the back segment of the Zvezda service module of the orbital laboratory.

“NASA and Roscosmos have a rich history of working together on the International Space Station. This professional partnership has enabled both agencies to develop a common technical strategy, and now the launch and docking of Axiom Mission 4 will move forward”, stated acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro.

In a joint effort between NASA and ISRO, Axiom Mission 4 fulfills a promise made by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the station, according to the NASA statement.

The space agencies are involved in five collaborative scientific studies and two in-orbit STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) demonstrations.

Once they dock, the private astronauts intend to spend around two weeks in the orbiting lab, engaging in a mission that includes science, outreach, and commercial activities.

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