On June 25, as the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Axiom Mission 4 launched from the Kennedy Space Center in the United States, India created history.
On board the rocket is Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force test pilot, who will soon become the first Indian to visit the International Space Station and the second from the country to go to Space after Rakesh Sharma.
Here’s everything you need to know about Shubhanshu Shukla, what this mission means for India, and what lies ahead.
Who is Shubhanshu Shukla?
Shukla, 40, is one of four astronauts selected by ISRO for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, India’s first manned mission. Shukla is a native of Lucknow and a graduate of the National Defence Academy, and he holds an M Tech in Aerospace Engineering from IISc Bangalore. Shukla has over 2,000 flight hours on aircraft including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, and Hawk.
When was he selected for the astronaut programme?
It was in 2019 that Shukla was selected for the astronaut training programme at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. He also later underwent extensive training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
In February 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly named Shukla as one of India's four astronaut-designates for Gaganyaan.
However, even before the Gaganyaan mission, which is scheduled for 2026, Shukla was chosen to represent India on the Axiom Mission 4.
What is Axiom Mission 4?
Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is a private mission to the ISS, operated by US-based Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA, Indian Space Research Organisation and the European Space Agency
It is scheduled to launch at 5:52 PM IST on June 11, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
The four members of the crew are:
Peggy Whitson (USA) – Commander and former NASA astronaut
Shubhanshu Shukla (India) – Pilot
Tibor Kapu (Hungary) – Mission Specialist
Sławosz Uznański (Poland) – Mission Specialist
All three male astronauts are flying to space for the first time; Whitson is a veteran on her fourth flight.
What will Shukla do in space?
As a pilot, Shukla will assist Whitson in operating the Crew Dragon spacecraft, including launch, docking, and re-entry procedures.
Once aboard the ISS, the crew will spend up to 14 days conducting over 60 science experiments across areas like materials science, biology, and Earth observation.
"This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date, underscoring the mission's global significance and collaborative nature to advance microgravity research in low-Earth orbit (LEO)," Axiom Space said in its website.
What are the experiments?
Specifically, Shukla will conduct research on Cyanobacteria on ISS. These are a kind of aquatic bacteria that can photosynthesise, and are relevant to spacecraft environmental control systems.
"This ISRO experiment will compare two strains of cyanobacteria to investigate growth rates, cellular responses, and biochemical activity in microgravity. The results could help with the development of future spacecraft life support systems," Axiom Space said.
He will also conduct experiments on space microalgae, which the company describes as "potentially useful organisms for future spaceflight that could be used as foods, fuel, or even used in life support systems."
Shukla will also participate in educational outreach, including amateur radio sessions with students, and run microgravity experiments relevant to ISRO’s human spaceflight goals.
What Shukla's fellow mission members think of him
Mission specialist Tibor Kapu said, "Shuks (Shukla) is wisdom. The knowledge that he possesses, he can be 130 years old."
Commander of the mission and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson said, "For me, having him as my pilot in the Dragon capsule is great. He already has that operational savvy.. and you know, he is wicked smart when it comes to spacecraft technologies."
Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański said, "He is very focused and he can go, basically, 1,2,3,4, in a record time! I don't know how he gets there so fast!"
Why does this mission matter for India?
India hasn’t sent a human to space since Rakesh Sharma’s historic 1984 mission aboard a Soviet Soyuz. The Ax-4 mission, while operated by a private US firm, marks India’s first astronaut presence aboard the ISS.
According to ISRO, Shukla’s participation will help “bridge gaps in experience” as the space agency prepares for independent orbital missions and, eventually, a space station by 2035.
Moreover, it signals India’s growing stake in the global space economy, partnering not only with traditional allies like Russia but also with the US and private players like Axiom Space and SpaceX.
Who is Shubhanshu Shukla when he is not an astronaut?
In recent media interviews, Shukla’s parents have described him as quiet, focused, and fearless. “We never stopped him from following his dreams,” his father Shambhu Shukla told NDTV. His mother, Asha Shukla, reflected on the generational significance. “Until now, people remembered Rakesh Sharma. From now on, they’ll remember Shubhanshu Shukla too.”
What next?
Following the mission, Shukla will return to India and resume training for the Gaganyaan programme.
Alongside fellow astronaut Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair—his backup for Ax-4—Shukla is expected to play a leading role in ISRO’s human spaceflight roadmap, which includes test missions, a second crewed flight, and deep-space ambitions.
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