Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 25 (ANI): The families of Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who is heading to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 Mission, were welcomed at the school he attended in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow.

Axiom 4 Mission, being piloted by Group Captain Shukla, lifts off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, US. The mission is being piloted by India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla. The crew is travelling to the International Space Station (ISS) on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company's Falcon 9 rocket.

Mother of Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, Asha said, '...We cannot describe this in words... We are not scared (for Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla) at all... We are delighted; we are very proud.'

Sister of IAF Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, Nidhi Mishra said, '...This is a proud moment not just for me but everyone in India...I cannot describe it in words; all I would like to say is 'All the best, Shubhanshu, may your mission be successful.'

The mission is led by the US' Commander Peggy Whitson, with India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as mission pilot and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu and Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski as mission specialists.

Highlighting the global significance of the mission, ISS noted that the agencies 'appreciate the historic nature of this mission for the nations of India, Poland, and Hungary, as well as the world.' The four-member crew remains in quarantine in Florida and is prepared to launch once the station is cleared to receive them. Axiom Mission 4 will be commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and now Axiom Space's Director of Human Spaceflight. Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla from ISRO will serve as the mission's pilot.

The mission specialists are ESA project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft remain healthy on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. The crew is traveling to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The targeted docking time is approximately 7 am Eastern Time (4pm IST) on Thursday, June 26.

Once docked, the astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprised of science, outreach, and commercial activities. Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, is in command of the mission, while Indian Space Research Organization Astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla serves as pilot. The two mission specialists are European Space Agency project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

The astronauts are using the new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit which provides them with advanced capabilities for space exploration while providing NASA with commercially developed human systems needed to access, live and work on and around the Moon. The advanced spacesuits ensure astronauts are equipped with high-performing, robust equipment and are designed to accommodate a wide range of crew members.

The Ax-4 mission is going to be conducting major research. The research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe. (ANI)