India's second astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is set to embark on the Axiom 4 mission from Kennedy Space Center aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 Crew Dragon. The 14-day journey to the International Space Station (ISS) marks a significant milestone in India's human spaceflight ambitions. In an exclusive conversation, Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, offered insights into the technical challenges and safety imperatives of this high-stakes mission.