Florida: Three days ahead of Indian astronaut Gp Capt Shubhanshu Shukla’s scheduled departure to the International Space Station (ISS), the Dragon spacecraft was rolled out to the launch pad integrated atop the SpaceX reusable Falcon-9 rocket at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, USA, on Saturday.
The Ax-4 mission will be launched on Tuesday. Gp Capt Shukla will pilot the spacecraft to the ISS on a 14-day mission. There will be three other astronauts on board. The Indian Air Force (IAF) test pilot has been trained for the mission by SpaceX and Axiom Space. He will be responsible for supervising the launch and docking operations of the vehicle, which is completely autonomous and does not require human intervention.
The launch has assumed greater significance after the ugly spat between US president Donald Trump and SpaceX chief Elon Musk. The two were the best of friends till recently.
Ahead of the launch, Gp Capt urged India to pray for success of the mission .
“I carry not just technical equipment but the hopes and dreams of over a billion Indians. I will be conducting seven scientific experiments that could contribute significantly to our understanding of microgravity and pave the way for future space research. In many ways, I see myself as a bridge between Earth and space, and I’m proud to carry artefacts designed by the National Institute of Design, symbolising India’s creativity and innovation,” Shukla said during a media briefing.
“Even stars are attainable, Jai Hind,” he said.
