India’s astronaut group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (#Shux) is going to create history soon. They will join the International Space Station (ISS) on 11 June 2025 at 12:30 pm (EDT). It is part of Mission X-4, which is the result of space cooperation of India and America. Let’s know in detail about this exciting journey.
Mission starts and changes
Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission was earlier scheduled to begin on 8 June, but due to the bad weather and the final preparations for the spacecraft it was made to 10 June. Teams of NASA and SpaceX said that this change has been done keeping in mind the weather prediction and the transport process of Falcon 9 rocket and dragon spacecraft. Now the launch will be on 10 June. On June 11 at 12:30 pm (EDT) will be associated with ISS.
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Importance of mission
The X-4 Mission will be the 53rd Dragon Mission of SpaceX. This will be the 15th Human Space Mission and the 48th ISS trip. Shubhanshu Shukla is one of the four astronauts of India’s Gaganyaan program.
India’s investment and preparation
India has spent at least Rs 548 crore on this mission so far. This includes the launch of Shubhanshu Shukla and his backup group Captain Prashant Nair. Prashant Nair is also part of the Gaganyaan program. Shubhanshu has been given special training by SpaceX and Axiom Space.
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Use in space
After reaching ISS, Shubhanshu will do 7 experiments, which Indian educational institutions have created. Most of these will be biological experiments, such as the effect of subtle gravity on the seeds of plants and the human body. In addition, they will experiment 5 more with NASA, which are associated with human research. ISRO project director Sudish Balan said that Indian scientists have proposed experiments. There will also be 5 experiments of human research together with NASA.
Spacecraft and name
The dragon spacecraft used for the X-4 mission is completely new. Dragon Mission Management Director Sarah Walker of SpaceX told that this vehicle will be given a name by crew. Commander Pegi Whitson said last week that the new name will be announced soon.
Also read: How will Shubhanshu Shukla’s AX-4 Mission, who is going to the space station? Know full story
Impact of Trump-Mascul dispute
Recently there was a dispute between SpaceX founder Alan Musk and US President Donald Trump. But NASA and Axiom clarified that it would not affect the mission. Both sides have publicly committed on the deadline. Therefore, this mission will run smoothly.
This mission of Shubhanshu Shukla is a big step in India’s space program. His experience will be very useful for the preparation of Gaganyaan Mission. When they join ISS on June 11, the whole of India will be with them. This mission will not only bring scientific progress, but will also take India to new heights in space.