By Sheetal Kumari | June 26, 2025
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian in space in 1984 aboard Soyuz T-11, spending nearly eight days on Salyut 7, conducting scientific research and remote sensing.
(Image: HSFC)
Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-origin woman in space, flew missions STS-87 and STS-107. She tragically died in 2003 and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honour.
(Image: HSFC)
Sunita Williams, a NASA astronaut, flew two space missions and set a female record with four spacewalks totalling 29 hours and 17 minutes during her time aboard the ISS.
(Image: HSFC)
Raja Chari, an Indian-American astronaut and Air Force colonel, commanded SpaceX Crew-3, joined the Artemis Team, and performed a spacewalk during his ISS mission in March 2022.
(Image: HSFC)
Sirisha Bandla, an Indian-American engineer and Virgin Galactic VP, became the third Indian-origin woman in space during the Virgin Galactic Unity 22 mission in 2021.
(Image: HSFC)
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla pilots Axiom Mission 4, marking India’s return to space after 41 years. His journey signals a new era for India’s Human Space Programme.
(Image: SpaceX)