Florida [US], June 25: As Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) lifted off toward the International Space Station on Wednesday, Indian pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla shared a heartfelt detail about his space journey — his favourite launch day song is ‘Yuh Hi Chala Chal’ from the film Swades, starring Shah Rukh Khan.
The track, composed by A.R. Rahman and written by Javed Akhtar, is a powerful anthem of perseverance and purpose. Sung by Udit Narayan, Kailash Kher, and Hariharan, the song plays in Swades as Shah Rukh Khan’s character journeys through India, mirroring Shukla’s own symbolic mission from Earth to space.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Axiom Space revealed the personal playlists of the Ax-4 crew. Commander Peggy Whitson, for instance, chose ‘Thunder’ by Imagine Dragons as her motivating track.
About Axiom Mission 4:
- Launch Date: June 25, 2:31 am ET / 12 Noon IST
- Location: Kennedy Space Center, Launch Complex 39A, Florida
- Docking Time: June 26, 7 am ET / 4 pm IST
- Duration: 14 days aboard the ISS
- Crew:
- Commander: Peggy Whitson (USA)
- Pilot: Shubhanshu Shukla (India, ISRO)
- Mission Specialists: Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), Tibor Kapu (Hungary)
The team is using the advanced Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit and will conduct 60 science experiments involving 31 countries. This includes vital research co-developed by NASA and ISRO, focusing on microgravity, biology, and space technology.
The mission stands out as the most research-intensive in Axiom Space’s history and marks a proud moment for India, with Shukla representing the Gaganyaan human spaceflight program.