Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla Pilots Axiom Mission 4, Reviving National Pride in Space Exploration
New Delhi: In a landmark moment for India’s space ambitions, Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has ascended into the annals of history as the first Indian astronaut in over four decades to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). Piloting the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as part of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), Shukla’s departure marks a triumphant return to space for India since Rakesh Sharma’s pioneering journey in 1984.
The spacecraft lifted off at 12:01 PM IST from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, amid high anticipation and international collaboration. Group Captain Shukla, an astronaut with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is joined on this multinational mission by Commander Peggy Whitson, a decorated former NASA astronaut, and mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary).
The Ax-4 mission not only signifies India’s renewed presence aboard NASA’s orbiting laboratory but also symbolizes a joint leap forward for Hungary and Poland—each returning to space after more than 40 years. The mission’s collaborative framework includes ISRO, NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and SpaceX.
Before launch, Shukla, a native of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, expressed hope that his mission would ignite the imagination of India’s youth. “If this story, my story, is able to change one life, it would be a huge success for me,” he said. His words encapsulate the spirit of discovery and national pride surrounding this historic endeavor.
With a distinguished career spanning over 2,000 flight hours and a robust academic background—including an MTech in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science—Shukla was among the select few chosen in 2019 for India’s maiden human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan. His extensive training includes sessions at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia and ISRO’s Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru.
Moments after takeoff, Shukla addressed his nation: “We’re back in space after 41 years and what an amazing ride it’s been. This is not the start of my journey to the ISS—this is the beginning of India’s human spaceflight.”
As India looks ahead to launching its own crewed mission in 2027 and aims to establish a space station by 2035, the experience and exposure Shukla gains during the Ax-4 mission are expected to be instrumental in shaping the country’s future in human space exploration.
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