Group captain Shubhanshu Shukla is ready to make history like the first Indian astronaut to travel to International Space Station (ISS). Has been selected as a pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (AX-4), a private astronaut mission that is launched aboard a Spacex Dragon spacecraft not before the spring of 2025.
Shukla, a pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF), will join a crew directed by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who will serve as a mission commander. It will be accompanied by two mission specialists: Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu de Hungary. This mission will not only send the first astronaut Isro to the ISS, but will also mark the first stay aboard the station for astronauts in Poland and Hungary.
Expressing his emotion for the mission, Shukla said he hopes to share his experience with the people of India. Plan to carry cultural items from different parts of the country and even intends to perform yoga poses aboard the ISS. “Even as an individual traveling to space, this is the trip of 1.4 billion people,” he said. The mission will last up to 14 days, during which the crew will carry out scientific experiments, dissemination programs and commercial activities in microgravity.
The AX-4 mission is part of a broader effort to expand private access to astronauts to the low terrestrial orbit. According to Dana Weigel, NASA ISS program manager, private missions such as AX-4 help to pave the way for a sustainable orbit of low land orbit, allowing a future exploration of deep space. Whitson also praised the dedication of AX-4 crew, calling for his commitment to “truly remarkable” space exploration.
Who is Shubhanshu Shukla?
- Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow.
- Commissioner in the Air Force of India (IAF) in June 2006 as a combat pilot.
- It has the group’s rank, achieved in March 2024.
- It has more than 2,000 flight hours on several airplanes, including SU-30 MKI, MIG-21, MIG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier and An-32.
- He underwent astronaut training at the Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin training center in Russia in 2019.
- Selected by ISRO for the Gaganyaan mission of India, the first human space flight program in the country.
- Isro’s first astronaut in traveling to the ISS as part of NASA-AXIOM space collaboration.
- Plan to capture your space experience through photos and videos for people at home.