Shubhanshu Shukla to Become First Indian on ISS, 40 Years After Rakesh Sharma’s Space Flight

New Delhi, April 18, 2025: After a gap of four decades, India is ready to send one of its own into space again. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force pilot, is set to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) in May this year. His mission will make him the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS and the first Indian in space since Rakesh Sharma’s historic flight in 1984.

Shukla will be part of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission and will lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Crew Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock at the Harmony module of the ISS, and the mission will last between 14 to 21 days. The other members of the crew include American astronaut Peggy Whitson, Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu.

Shukla was selected by ISRO for India’s human spaceflight program and underwent training at Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. For the past eight months, he has been training with Axiom and NASA in the US. His participation in this private space mission is considered a preparatory step for India’s much-anticipated Gaganyaan mission, expected to launch in 2026.

While aboard the ISS, Shukla will conduct a series of experiments focused on microgravity, space health, and seed viability, among others. These studies will help develop life-support systems and new technology for future missions.

India’s involvement in the Ax-4 mission signals a stronger global presence in space exploration and deepens its collaboration with international partners. With this flight, Shubhanshu Shukla will not only follow in the footsteps of Rakesh Sharma but will also pave the way for future Indian astronauts to reach even farther.