Although the Axiom-4 was a private mission, ISRO monitored this mission from very close quarters. This mission was successful on all accounts as the desired objectives set in terms of preparing India’s astronauts for a human spaceflight experience were realized successfully.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Axiom-4 crew return to earth from the International Space Station on 15 July 9Photo: Axiom Space/ YouTube/ANI)
NEW DELHI: The Mission Axiom-4 is complete. The year 2025 would be remembered in the history of India's space program for this mission. On July 15, 2025, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft safely returned back to earth. From an Indian stand point, this mission was significant because of the scientific experiments to be conducted by the Indian astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla at the International Space Station were successfully executed.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in col laboration with a handful of scientific institutions across India had designed and developed a suite of seven microgravity experiments. These experiments were primarily aimed at enhanc ing the understanding of the human spaceflight and icrogravity science. The experiments ranged from exploring algal growth to crop viability, cognitive performance in space to cyanobacteria behaviour and muscle regeneration to microbial survivability.
To elaborate a bit further, the microbial survivability experiment on space mi croalgae was designed by the collaboration of ICGEB (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology) and BRIC NIPGR (Biotechnology Research and Innovation Counell-National Institute of Plant Genome Research). This experiment was about observing the growth and radiation response of ed ible algae. Similarly, the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru was involved in designing microgravity ex periments on tardigrade to check their resilience and ageing patterns. IIT Dhar wad was instrumental in designing Microgravity ex periment on the growth of methi and moong.
The purpose of this hu man spaceflight mission. went beyond just the charm of space travel. India has always believed in utilis ing outer space as a global common for the good of the mankind. That has been the goal of this mission too. The successful conduct of these microgravity experi ments by Gaganyatri Shub hanshu Shukla fulfilled the primary purpose of this mission. Group Cap tain Shubhanshu Shukla indeed proved to he a right choice to represent India in the Axiom 4 Mission along with Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair who was chosen as the backup for Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.
In 2019, both Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Group Captain Prashanth Nair were select ed by the Institute of Aero space Medicine (IAM) after a very rigorous evaluation to become a part of India's humanspaceflight program called Mission Gaganyaan. The ibid institute works under the Indian Air Force and is located at Bengaluru.
Both Group Captain Shuk la and Group Captain Nair were amongst the group of four selected fighter pilots, who were cleared by the institute after which ISRO sent them to Russia for ex tensive training. The Indian Space Research Organ isation collaborated with the Russian space agency ROSKOSMOS for Mission Gaganyaan. Under this col laboration, all four Indian astronauts underwent a comprehensive astronaut training at the Yuri Gaga rin Cosmonaut Training Centre, located in Star City, Moscow Oblast, approxi mately 25 km north-east of Менсом.
The official contract for the training of the four In dian astronauts was signed between Glavkosmos and the Human Space-flight Centre of the ISRO on June 27, 2019. The training start ed next year in 2020 (from February 10, 2020 to be precise) which involved a handful of essential courses required to be completed by the prospective Indian astronauts. The emphasis was put on both physical as well as mental aspects of training. The Indian contingent also learned the Russian language as part of their training, since Rus sian is one of the key lan guages used for communi cation in space. Apart from this, they also participated in studying the configuration, structure and systems of the Soyuz crewed space craft.
For Mission Axiom-4, Group Captain Shubhans hu Shukla and Group Cap tain Prashanth Nair started their training in the United States in the first week of August 2024. As part of the mission training, the Indian astronauts trained with the NASA, European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Explora tion Agency (JAXA). These rigorous training exercises prepared both the mission pilot Group Captain Shulda and backup pilot Group Captain Nair to learn about the communications sys tems as well as the emer geney response procedures within the International Space Station.
As per the Indian Space Research Organisation, "In the weeks leading up to the Axiom-04 mission, the crew underwent a series of pre-launch protocols and final preparations. These included intensive brief ings, integrated simula tions, and systems familia risation sessions at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. As part of standard procedure, the crew entered a health stabilisation quarantine, ensuring they remained medically fit and isolated from potential sources of infection. Just prior to the launch, on 25 June, 2025, a formal crew handover ceremony was held, where the Ax-04 crewofficially assumed nüssion responsi bilities and were ceremoni ally handed over to mission operations teams. These activities ensured the crew was fully prepared-physi cally, mentally, and opera tionally for their journey to the International Space Station".
Although the Axiom-4 was a private mission, ISRO monitored this mission from very close quarters. Right from the planning of this mission to the return of Gp Capt Shubanshu Shukla from this mission, ISRO's team was overlooking each and every aspect. Prior to Axiom-4's launch, ISRO had sent a delegation to the United States. This del egation was headed by the ISRO chairman, Dr V. Na rayanan himself, who apart from visiting the Johnson Space Center at Houston, Texas and Kennedy Space Center in Florida, also held several rounds of discus sions with multiple agen cies working in the space sector, including Axiom-4.
This mission was successful on all accounts as the desired objectives set in terms of preparing India's astronauts for a human spaceflight experience were realized successfully. This is because the training con ducted for the astronauts, Group Captain Shukla and Group Captain Nair, and the first-hand experience of the space flight by Shukla will help India in formal izing its space training pat tems, procedures etc and also in India's preparations for the Gaganyaan flight.
The ISRO team's expe rience of monitoring the various critical aspects of the space flight would help them in formalizing/rep licating the flight monitor ing procedures at ISRO.
Secondly, the institutions involved in designing the microgravity experiments set to be done in outer space at the International Space Station were also conduct ed with success hy Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla. This two pronged success has developed a self-belief for the upcoming Mission Gaganyaan and its preparations. The success ful conduct of microgravity experiments in outer space has given a new impetus to India's scientific institu tions to develop more such experiments to develop In dia's scientific wherewithal.
