Axiom-4 Mission: IAF officer Shubhanshu Shukla set to fly to space on May 29 – here’s what he will do

IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force officer, is set to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) on 29 May. The 40-year-old test pilot is about to make history as the first Indian to reach the ISS.

Axiom Space Inc. confirmed the launch date on Tuesday. Shukla will pilot Axiom Mission 4, a private spaceflight organised by the company. He will fly aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket.

India’s role in global space missions

The launch will take place at 10:33pm IST from Florida. It is a joint mission by NASA and India’s space agency ISRO. India has spent over $60 million for the space journey.

The Axiom Mission 4 crew will include three other astronauts. Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, will lead the mission as commander. She already holds the US record for most time spent in space. Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu will also be on board.

The astronauts will dock at the ISS after launch. They will spend up to 14 days in orbit. The mission will focus on science, education, and commercial work during that time.

Mark your calendarsThe #Ax4 crew is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on May 29 at 1:03pm EDT from Florida. https://t.co/fYRkWZEpkK
Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) April 29, 2025

A major step for India’s space ambitions

Group Captain Shukla will serve as astronaut designate and mission pilot. He was selected under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Programme and is among the top names for the Gaganyaan mission. His trip will help him gain vital experience in space operations and emergency protocols.

He will conduct seven experiments in space. These will include studies on agriculture, food systems, and human biology.

ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan said Shukla is well-prepared for the challenge. He called the Ax-4 mission a major learning step for India’s future crewed missions, including the Bharatiya Antariksha Station.

Minister Jitendra Singh said the flight reflects India's rising status in space. He noted the mission supports India's goal of becoming self-reliant and developed.

This journey comes 40 years after Rakesh Sharma’s flight with the USSR in 1984. If successful, Shukla will follow in his footsteps as a national space hero.

European astronaut Uznanski will be Poland’s second space traveller since 1978. Kapu will be Hungary’s second since 1980. Whitson returns to command her second commercial mission.

India has also picked Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair as a backup. He will fly if Shukla is unable to go.