The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-04), launched on June 25, 2025, represents a significant milestone in international space collaboration and India's growing footprint in human spaceflight. Shubhanshu Shukla, selected from ISRO's Gaganyaan astronaut pool, participated in this private commercial mission to the ISS to conduct experiments in microgravity and advanced space systems. The mission serves as a critical precursor and skill-building exercise for India's upcoming independent crewed space flight program, Gaganyaan. Training for the mission was conducted in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX to ensure operational readiness for complex space environment tasks.