- Mission: Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4)—the fourth commercial flight to the International Space Station (ISS).
- Actual Launch Date: June 25, 2025 (not June 22). The launch was delayed from the original date due to safety checks, including an air leak probe in the Russian Zvezda Service Module of the ISS.
- Vehicle: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket using the Dragon capsule.
- Crew & Pilot:
- Commander: Peggy Whitson (USA, Axiom Space)
- Pilot: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (India, ISRO/IAF)
- Mission Specialists: Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland, ESA) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary, HUNOR).
- Indian Milestone: Shubhanshu Shukla became the first ISRO astronaut to visit the ISS and the second Indian in space (after Rakesh Sharma in 1984).9
- Duration & Work: The mission lasted 18 days (14 days docked at the ISS), during which the crew conducted 60 research activities, including 7 India-led experiments.
- Significance: This commercially arranged flight, supported by ISRO, is a crucial stepping stone for India’s indigenous Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, providing invaluable hands-on experience in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) operations and microgravity science.