Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is poised to make history as the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). He has been chosen as the pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a private astronaut mission set to launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, with the launch expected in spring 2025.
Shukla, an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot, will be part of a diverse crew led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who will serve as the mission commander. Joining Shukla will be two mission specialists—Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. This mission will not only send India’s first astronaut to the ISS but also mark the first time astronauts from Poland and Hungary will stay aboard the station.
Speaking about the mission, Shukla expressed his enthusiasm, saying that he hopes to share his journey with the people of India. He plans to take cultural items from various regions of India and even perform yoga aboard the ISS. “This isn’t just my journey; it’s the journey of 1.4 billion people,” he remarked. The mission will last up to 14 days, during which the crew will conduct scientific experiments, outreach programs, and engage in commercial activities in microgravity.
The Ax-4 mission is part of a larger initiative to expand private astronaut access to low Earth orbit. According to Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s ISS program, private missions like Ax-4 are key to establishing a sustainable low Earth orbit economy and will play a crucial role in future deep space exploration. Whitson also praised the dedication of the Ax-4 crew, calling their commitment to space exploration “truly remarkable.”
About Shubhanshu Shukla:
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- Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, India.
- Commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a fighter pilot in June 2006.
- Holds the rank of Group Captain, which he achieved in March 2024.
- Has logged over 2,000 flight hours across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
- Underwent astronaut training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia in 2019.
- Selected by ISRO for India’s Gaganyaan mission, the country’s first human spaceflight program.
- Will be the first ISRO astronaut to travel to the ISS as part of a NASA-Axiom Space collaboration.
- Plans to document his space journey through photos and videos, sharing his experience with the people of India.
