India’s Gaganyatri Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 8 as part of Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission. He will conduct seven microgravity research experiments shortlisted by ISRO from across Indian institutions. This marks the first visit of an ISRO astronaut to the ISS and India’s second crewed spaceflight after 1984.

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• Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla to fly to ISS on June 8 via Axiom-4 mission
• First Indian ever to visit ISS; second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma (1984)
• Seven Indian experiments to study microgravity effects onboard ISS
• Experiments include microalgae growth, salad seed sprouting, tardigrade survival
• Studies also include muscle regeneration, human-electronic interface, crop yield
• All experiments proposed by Indian scientists from national labs & institutes
• Experiments undergoing strict safety reviews pre-launch
• Aim: build national microgravity research ecosystem for future missions
• Backup pilot: IAF Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair
• Mission also includes astronauts from Poland, Hungary; commanded by Peggy Whitson