Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force is set to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) next month as part of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission. The international space mission scheduled for May 2025 will have four astronauts visiting the ISS using a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Notably, Shubhanshu Shukla has been shortlisted as an astronaut for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission, and ISRO is one of the collaborators in the Axiom Mission-4, along with the European Space Agency and the Hungarian to Orbit Program.
Talking about the mission, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said that the mission will mark the visit of first Indian ever to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and the first Indian astronaut to travel to Space in over four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic 1984 flight aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.
Group Captain Shukla’s mission marks a milestone in India’s expanding international space collaborations. A decorated test pilot with the Indian Air Force, he was shortlisted under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Program (HSP) and is among the top contenders for the Gaganyaan mission, India’s first indigenous crewed orbital flight.
His journey aboard the Ax-4 mission is expected to provide critical hands-on experience in spaceflight operations, launch protocols, microgravity adaptation, and emergency preparedness — all essential for India’s crewed space ambitions.
The minister noted that the collaboration with international partners and the strategic momentum of projects like Gaganyaan reflect India’s commitment to becoming a global leader in space technology. He emphasized that these efforts are not only scientific in nature but also aligned with the vision of a developed and self-reliant India.
Shubhanshu Shukla was born in October 1985 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. As a test pilot of the Indian Air Force, he has flight experience on various kinds of planes, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
After he was shortlisted by ISRO, he underwent rigorous training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow, Russia.
