Thu Apr 03 11:08:16 UTC 2025: ## Indian Astronaut to Make History on ISS Mission in May
**Bengaluru, April 3, 2025** – Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will become the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) in a landmark mission scheduled for May 2025. He will pilot Axiom-4 (Ax-4), the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS, launched by Axiom Space from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Shukla, also a designated astronaut for India’s Gaganyaan mission, will spend 14 days aboard the ISS conducting experiments alongside a crew including former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson (mission commander), and astronauts from Poland and Hungary.
The Ax-4 mission boasts an ambitious research program encompassing approximately 60 scientific studies from 31 countries. A significant portion of the research involves collaborative efforts between ISRO, NASA, and ESA, focusing on the effects of microgravity on biological processes, human health, and crop growth. Specific ISRO studies will investigate the impact of computer screens in microgravity, the growth of various microalgae and cyanobacteria strains, skeletal muscle dysfunction, and the effects of spaceflight on crop seeds.
This mission marks a significant step forward for India’s space program and represents a new chapter in international collaboration in space research. It is the first Indian spaceflight in over four decades.
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