Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 10 (ANI): Ahead of Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla launch to the International Space Station (ISS) from the US on Tuesday as part of the human space flight mission with the private company Axiom Space, scientist Tapan Mishra said that it is part of ISRO's ongoing astronaut training program ahead of the country's Gaganyaan mission.

Misra, Former Director of Space Applications Centre and Physical Research Laboratory in ISRO, said, 'The Indian government has planned to launch the Gaganyaan mission with our own astronaut from India by next year. As part of that initiative, four astronauts have been selected. Among them, one primary astronaut and one backup astronaut have been sent to participate in the Axiom-4 Mission--a commercial mission to the ISS, operated by private space company Axiom Space, which charges around $65 million per astronaut.'

He further said that they would stay at the International Space Station for another two to three weeks. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will carry out experiments on muscle fatigue, muscle atrophy, and neurological degeneration in free space and also on the growth of certain crops and plants in free space.

'As a backup to Shubhanshu Shukla, another astronaut, Prasanth Nair, is also ready. India will be going through its maiden human space launch next year. Prior to that the pilot, captain, will have a first-hand exposure to a real-life launch scenario (Human space flight) and he will have experience of all the instrumentation required in the spacecraft and all the precautions to be taken and one can consider it as a training session and if any lacuna is there in our mission, we can have enough time to correct them and ensure that we'll have a safe Indian astronaut mission through Gaganyaan,' he further said.

Scientist Misra said that it is a proud moment for India as it is after 41 years after Rakesh Sharma went to space another Indian astronaut is headed there.

'This is part of ISRO's ongoing astronaut training program. These astronauts were initially trained extensively in Russia, and now they are also being exposed to training and operational environments in the US, giving them experience with different types of launch systems. This dual exposure will help us identify and incorporate necessary precautions and best practices into our own Gaganyaan mission. With nearly a year to go before the launch, this opportunity serves as a valuable learning experience for ISRO to ensure a successful and safe human spaceflight mission.'

The Axiom-4 mission launch was postponed to June 11, due to unfavourable weather conditions. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that the mission, carrying Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS), will now lift off at 5:30 PM IST on June 11.

ISRO wrote on X, 'Launch of Axiom-4 mission to International Space Station: Due to weather conditions, the launch of Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to International Space Station is postponed from 10th June 2025 to 11th June 2025. The targeted time of launch is 5:30 PM IST on 11th June 2025: Dr V Narayanan, Chairman, ISRO/ Secretary, DOS / Chairman, Space Commission.'

Shukla will be led by the mission commander, Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and an Axiom employee, and joined by the European Space Agency astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, of Poland, and Tibor Kapu, of Hungary.

It will be the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4. The mission will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket.

As part of a collaboration between NASA and ISRO, Axiom Mission 4 delivers on a commitment highlighted by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the station.

The space agencies are participating in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics demonstrations. NASA and ISRO have a long-standing relationship built on a shared vision to advance scientific knowledge and expand space collaboration.

ISRO is planning to launch its own human spaceflight mission, called Gaganyaan, in 2027. The Gaganyaan Programme envisages undertaking the demonstration of human spaceflight to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in the short term and will lay the foundation for a sustained Indian human space exploration programme in the long run. (ANI)