Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is preparing for his Axiom-4 mission, which is set to launch to the International Space Station today, June 25. The launch is scheduled to take place at 2:31 AM EDT (12:01 PM IST) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA plans to have the Axiom-4 mission’s Dragon spacecraft dock with the Harmony module of the International Space Station at 7 AM EDT (4:30 PM IST) on June 26. The Axiom-4 mission necessitates an approximate travel duration of 28.5 to 29 hours to traverse the distance from Earth to the International Space Station (ISS), despite the latter’s orbital altitude of around 400 km above the Earth’s surface. This time frame is not solely attributable to the linear distance but rather to the intricate orbital mechanics that govern the process of rendezvousing with the ISS. The following factors elucidate the complexities involved:
Shubhanshu Shukla Axiom-4 Mission: Why does it take 28 hours to reach ISS’s 400km Orbit?
