Symbolic swan 'Joy' joins Axiom-4 space mission
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is about to become the first Indian astronaut on the International Space Station since 1984. He's bringing along Joy, a plush white swan that'll float around as a zero-gravity indicator and nod to India's spiritual roots. The launch will happen from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Shukla to run 60 science experiments from 31 countries
Shukla teams up with astronauts from the US, Poland, and Hungary—each on their country's first government-backed ISS mission, except for the US, which has had previous missions. Together, they'll run about 60 science experiments from 31 countries, digging into everything from microgravity and human health to Earth observation.
Mission delayed due to technical, weather issues
The mission's been delayed because of technical and weather hiccups—a new date is still in the works. Once it's rescheduled, you can catch live updates straight from NASA and Axiom Space as it all unfolds.