On June 11, 2025, India etched its name into space history once again. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an accomplished Indian Air Force pilot and aerospace engineer, became the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). Nearly 41 years after Rakesh Sharma’s legendary spaceflight, Shukla's mission reignited India's human spaceflight ambitions—this time reaching the global hub of space science: the ISS.
The Mission: Axiom-4 and India’s Global Collaboration
Shukla flew as Pilot aboard the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a multinational private spaceflight operated by Axiom Space in collaboration with SpaceX, NASA, and supported by ISRO. The crew launched aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Originally scheduled for early June, the launch faced minor weather-related delays and finally lifted off on June 11, 2025, at 5:30 PM IST. The mission marks not only India's first human presence aboard the ISS but also its entry into international human spaceflight cooperation beyond traditional government-to-government channels.
Life and Work Aboard the ISS
During the 14-day stay aboard the International Space Station, Shubhanshu Shukla will:
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Conduct scientific experiments in microgravity, focusing on material science, biology, and space medicine.
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Carry out Earth observation tasks, contributing data to ISRO and NASA’s Earth sciences missions.
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Test Indian-developed space food and life-support technologies, part of preparatory research for India’s own Gaganyaan missions.
In a heartwarming cultural touch, Shukla also carried Indian space cuisine aboard—dishes like idli-sambhar, aam ras, biryani, and gajar ka halwa—developed by DRDO and ISRO for long-duration space missions. It was a symbolic gesture: India not just reaching space, but taking its identity along.
Why This Mission Matters
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🛰️ First Indian on ISS: While Rakesh Sharma orbited Earth in 1984 aboard a Soviet Soyuz, Shukla is the first Indian to live and work on the ISS, the most advanced research outpost in orbit.
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🌏 Boost to Gaganyaan: His success strengthens India’s confidence and international credibility ahead of ISRO’s first indigenous human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan.
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🤝 Global Collaboration: Shukla’s participation via Axiom Space showcases India’s entry into commercial and international astronaut programs, bridging public-private and East-West partnerships in space.
The Man Behind the Mission
Born in Lucknow, and trained at NDA and IISc Bengaluru, Shubhanshu Shukla has flown over 2,000 hours on aircraft like the Su-30MKI, MiG-29, and Jaguar. Known for his humility and discipline, he was handpicked for astronaut training in Russia in 2019 and later underwent extensive advanced training at ISRO's astronaut facility in Bengaluru.
Shukla, often described as “soft-spoken but fiercely focused,” dedicated the mission to “the 1.4 billion dreams of fellow Indians.”
Shubhanshu Shukla’s ISS mission is more than a personal milestone—it’s a giant leap for Indian aspirations in space. His journey signals the coming of age of India's space program, from launching satellites to sending humans into orbit with confidence, competence, and collaboration.
As he floats in microgravity conducting research and sipping space-made aam ras, back home on Earth, a generation watches—and dreams.
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