New York: Indian Air Force Group Captain and Indian Space Research Organization’s astronaut-candidate Shubhanshu Shukla, who has been selected as India’s Gaganyatri for the International Space Station (ISS) mission in partnership with NASA and US space agency Axiom, has reached the US to take part in a specialized training session for his maiden space trip.
Axiom Space announced on Monday that it is partnering with India (through ISRO), Poland (with European Space Agency’s support) and Hungary to send three national astronauts to the space station on Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), the company’s next commercial human spaceflight mission to the orbiting space laboratory.
The crew assigned to Ax-4 includes commander Peggy Whitson, mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, mission specialist Slawosz Uznanski of ESA/Poland, and mission specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Welcoming Shukla and other crew, Axiom Space said X: “Welcome to Houston #Ax4! This week the crew... will begin training with their commander AstroPeggy.” The Ax-4 crewmembers begin training with Axiom Space, NASA and SpaceX.
The mission will place significant emphasis on scientific research, technology demonstrations, and the commercialization of space. Additionally, the mission aims to foster cooperation by sharing knowledge, resources and opportunities with our partners, solidifying these nations as leaders within the growing space community.
