Axiom Space has shared new pictures from NASA’s Johnson Space Center training facility in Houston, Texas, where private astronauts are preparing for their mission to the International Space Station (ISS) next year.
Among the trainees are India’s Shubhanshu Shukla, Wing Commander in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair along with three others.
At NASA Johnson Space Center, the #Ax4 assigned crew underwent intensive training in the Harmony mockup to prepare for their upcoming mission. The focus of this training was on mastering ingress and egress procedures, such as vehicle docking and undocking. These procedures are… pic.twitter.com/gyANRt36VM
— Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) October 22, 2024
Former NASA astronaut, who is currently with Axiom Space, is leading the pack and guiding the crew with the experience she gained from four spaceflights. They are training for Axiom’s fourth private mission Ax-4 which is targeted for launch no earlier than Spring 2025.
In the latest pictures, Shukla and crew are seen learning the aspects of ingress and egress procedures when they reach the space station. It’s basically the docking of the spacecraft and their entry into the station as well as getting back into the spacecraft for a journey back home.
ALSO SEE: Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s Space Journey Shelved As NASA Delays Ax-4 Mission To 2025
Training for Ax-4 has begun and I already feel right at home. After a comprehensive onboarding process in Houston we traveled to @SpaceX in Hawthorne for suit measurements and pressurization tests. The crew also had their first introduction to Dragon! pic.twitter.com/mkdq4bNVPF
— Peggy Whitson (@AstroPeggy) October 17, 2024
“At NASA Johnson Space Center, the Ax-4 assigned crew underwent intensive training in the Harmony mockup to prepare for their upcoming mission. The focus of this training was on mastering ingress and egress procedures, such as vehicle docking and undocking. These procedures are vital for their successful journey to the International Space Station,” Axiom posted on X.
Their training with the ISS procedures comes after the astronauts were introduced to SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft for the first time. They also recently travelled to SpaceX’s facility in Hawthorne, California for spacesuit measurements and pressurisation tests.
Apart from mission pilot Shukla and mission commander Whitson, Ax-4 includes two mission specialists Sławosz Uznański (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary). These astronauts will spend up to two weeks aboard the ISS, living and conducting experiments in microgravity.
ALSO SEE: India’s Shubhanshu Shukla Rides Dragon Spacecraft For The First Time Before Historic ISS Flight
(Image: Axiom Space)
