Shubhanshu Shukla and the other crew members on Axiom-4 mission

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others lifted off to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday.

The Axiom Mission 4 is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station by NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX.

The crew is aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, launched atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, en route to the orbiting laboratory.

ALSO READ | Why Axiom-4 mission carrying Shubhanshu Shukla faced multiple delays

So, who are the other astronauts joining Shubhanshu Shukla on this journey?

Let’s take a look:

Axiom-4 mission: Who are the crew members?

Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station.

Joining him on the Axiom-4 mission are three other astronauts.

Leading the mission is Peggy Whitson, a former Nasa astronaut and now Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space.

More from Explainers

‘Namaskar from space’: Inside Shubhanshu Shukla’s Day 1 on ISS 'I carry the Indian tricolour, I am here with all of you': What Shubhanshu Shukla said 10 minutes into spaceflight

The two mission specialists are Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland. Both are project astronauts with the European Space Agency.

Here’s a look at the crew:

Peggy Whitson

Whitson, who previously commanded Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), is the most experienced astronaut in American history.

She has completed three long-duration missions and spent a total of 665 days in space, more than any other American or woman astronaut globally.

With over 38 years of experience in space and science, she has worked with Nasa in various roles and now heads human spaceflight at Axiom Space.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

Ghaziabad woman dead, pilgrims attacked in bus… How Nepal’s Gen-Z protests turned into a living hell for Indian tourists

Were bodyguards involved in Charlie Kirk’s shooting? The many conspiracies surrounding the killing

During Ax-2, she became the first woman to command a private space mission. She was also the first woman to lead the ISS and remains the only woman to have done so twice. She also made history as Nasa’s first non-military female chief of the Astronaut Office.

Across her three missions, she has performed 10 spacewalks, clocking over 60 hours, and carried out hundreds of experiments aboard the ISS.

She has made contributions to biology, biotechnology, physical and Earth sciences, and has also overseen numerous cargo missions bringing supplies and research material to the station.

ALSO READ | What is Axiom-4 Mission that India's Sudhanshu Shukla will pilot to space?

Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski

Polish scientist and engineer Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski has made huge contributions to science and space research.

He is part of the European Space Agency’s Astronaut Reserve Class of 2022 and was selected from more than 22,500 applicants.

At the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, he worked as a reliability expert and project lead. From 2018 to 2020, he served as Engineer in Charge of the Large Hadron Collider, overseeing its operations.

He joins the Axiom-4 mission as a mission specialist.

Tibor Kapu

Kapu is a mechanical engineer from Hungary who will also serve as a mission specialist on the mission.

Before joining the Hungarian Astronaut Programme, he worked on space radiation protection at an aerospace technology firm.

In 2023, Kapu was chosen as one of four finalists from 247 candidates for Hungary’s astronaut training under the Hungarian to Orbit (Hunor) Astronaut Program.

He has studied space engineering, health in space, and the history of spaceflight. He has also taken part in several scientific experiments.

Outside his professional life, he enjoys adventure sports. He has completed 38 skydives and has run 21 half marathons.

Shubhanshu Shukla’s journey to ISS

Shukla is the designated pilot for the Axiom-4 mission. He is one of the four astronauts preparing for India’s first human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, which is scheduled for launch in the first half of 2027.

Originally from Lucknow, Shukla has served as a fighter pilot for over 16 years and has logged more than 2,000 hours of flying time.

As part of the mission, he will lead research focused on food and nutrition in space. These studies have been developed with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from Nasa.

Over the course of his aviation career, Shukla has flown various aircraft, including the Su-30MKI, MIG-21, MIG-29, Jaguar, and Hawk. He is a qualified fighter combat leader and an award-winning test pilot.

With this launch, Shukla has become the first Indian astronaut to travel to space in more than forty years, after Rakesh Sharma’s historic mission aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in 1984.

With inputs from agencies