1. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became India's first astronaut in 41 years, piloting the Axiom-4 mission launched from Florida aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
1. Liftoff occurred at 2:31 am ET after several delays, marking India's return to human spaceflight since Rakesh Sharma's 1984 mission.
1. From orbit, Shukla proclaimed pride for India, calling the journey the start of the nation's Human Space Programme and urging citizens to share his excitement.
1. The crew, commanded by Axiom's Peggy Whitson with Shukla as pilot and two mission specialists, is en route to the ISS for a 14-day stay.
1. Shukla emotionally thanked his wife Kamna for her crucial support, sharing a poignant pre-launch farewell image.
1. This fourth private ISS mission will see the crew use advanced Axiom spacesuits designed for future lunar exploration.
1. Ax-4 plans extensive research, conducting approximately 60 scientific studies representing 31 countries, including significant US-ISRO collaboration.
1. Scientific investigations include muscle regeneration, microgravity crop growth, aquatic organism studies, and human-device interaction in space.
1. Successful docking is targeted for Thursday at approximately 7 am ET, initiating two weeks of science and outreach activities.