Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has made history as the first Indian in 40 years to travel to space, piloting the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as part of the international Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
The spacecraft lifted off at 12:01 pm IST on Wednesday after multiple delays, marking a landmark moment for India’s space journey since Rakesh Sharma’s mission aboard Salyut-7 in 1984. Shukla’s flight symbolizes not only a return of Indian presence to space but also reflects the growing global collaboration in crewed space exploration.
Shukla, born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, is one of four astronauts selected for India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight program. A decorated combat leader and test pilot in the Indian Air Force, he has logged over 2,000 flying hours across a range of aircraft including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
Joining Shukla on the Axiom-4 mission are mission commander and veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu. The mission is notable for marking the return of Poland and Hungary to human spaceflight alongside India.
Ahead of the mission, Shukla expressed hope that his journey would ignite scientific curiosity among Indian youth. “These are moments that tell you you’re part of something much bigger than yourself,” he said in a pre-launch video. “If this story, my story, can inspire even one life, it would be a huge success for me.”
Shukla’s selection for the mission came just a week before the team arrived at Axiom’s training facility. “I was extremely happy. This was my opportunity to actually fly to space,” he added.
As India awaits its first indigenous human spaceflight under ISRO’s Gaganyaan project, Shukla’s journey with Axiom Space stands as a powerful milestone, reinforcing India’s rising status in the domain of human spaceflight.
