Shubhanshu Shukla Archives

19 Aug

PM Modi Congratulates Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, Calls for Expanding India’s Astronaut Pool

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, TrendingNarendra Modi, Shubhanshu Shukla

New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently interacted with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, hailing his achievements in space as a milestone for India’s scientific community and an inspiration for the nation’s youth. Their discussion covered India’s technological progress, the Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, and the future of the country’s space exploration efforts. During the conversation, PM Modi emphasized the need to institutionalize astronaut training and create a larger talent base. “Our biggest responsibility ahead is to build a strong pool of 40–50 astronauts, so that India can continue to aim higher in space exploration,” he said. A Childhood…

15 Jul

Shubhanshu Shukla Returns from Historic Space Mission, Boosts India’s Gaganyaan Hopes

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaAxiom-4 mission, Gaganyaan, International Space Station, Shubhanshu Shukla

National Times Bureau, July 15, 2025: With waves and radiant smiles, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla safely returned to Earth on Tuesday after an 18-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), marking a historic leap for India’s human spaceflight ambitions.Shukla, born in Lucknow, became the second Indian ever to venture into space after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission. He also scripted history as the first Indian to visit the ISS, spending a record 20 days in orbit.Shukla was part of the private Axiom-4 mission alongside mission commander Peggy Whitson and specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Their…

28 Jun

PM Modi Hails Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s ISS Mission as Milestone for India’s Space Aspirations

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, TechnologyAxiom-4 mission, International Space Station, PM Modi, Shubhanshu Shukla

New Delhi, June 28, 2025 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke via video link with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is currently orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission, calling his journey a historic step toward India’s future in human space exploration.In a conversation brimming with national pride, chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” echoed on the ISS as Modi praised the Lucknow-born astronaut’s achievement. “You are farthest from India, but closest to the hearts of all Indians,” the Prime Minister told Shukla, emphasizing that his space mission would add momentum…

28 Jun

PM Modi Interacts With IAF’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla Aboard ISS in Historic First for India

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaPM Modi, Shubhanshu Shukla

New Delhi (National Times): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made history by holding a live video interaction with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian Air Force officer and Indian national to be stationed aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Group Captain Shukla, part of the Axiom-4 mission, became the first Indian to ever step onto the ISS, a moment hailed by PM Modi as “a proud chapter in India’s space journey.” During their interaction, PM Modi lauded the officer’s courage and achievements, saying, “Group Captain Shukla, you have taken the tricolor into a new orbit — literally. Your…

25 Jun

Shubhanshu Shukla Becomes First Indian to Pilot Private Mission to ISS

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsTechnology, World NewsAxiom Mission 4, India ISS astronaut, Shubhanshu Shukla, SpaceX Falcon 9

New Delhi/Kennedy Space Center, June 25, 2025: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has made history by becoming the first Indian to pilot a commercial spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS), lifting off aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft as part of the Axiom Mission 4.Launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:01 PM IST, the mission includes three other astronauts: mission commander and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański‑Wiśniewski from Poland, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu. The spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS on June 26 after a 28-hour journey.Shukla, a decorated test pilot from the Indian…

11 Jun

Launch of Axiom-4 Mission Delayed Following LOX Leak in Falcon 9 Booster

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, TechnologyAxiom‑4 mission, Falcon 9 LOx leak, Shubhanshu Shukla, SpaceX delay

Cape Canaveral (Florida), June 11, 2025 — SpaceX announced today that it has indefinitely delayed the launch of the Axiom‑4 mission after detecting a liquid oxygen (LOx) leak in the Falcon 9 rocket during post-static fire testing. The mission, which was rescheduled to launch on June 11, carries Indian Air Force pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla—who would become the first Indian aboard the International Space Station in 41 years—along with a crew from the United States, Poland, and Hungary .According to SpaceX, engineers identified the leak in the booster’s propulsion bay and have “stood down from the scheduled launch to allow additional time for repairs.” The company…

09 Jun

Weather Delays Axiom-4 Launch: India’s Shubhanshu Shukla to Now Fly on June 11

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaAxiom-4, Falcon 9, ISRO, ISS, Shubhanshu Shukla

National Times Bureau: The highly anticipated Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, set to make history with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla becoming the first Indian to live and work aboard the International Space Station (ISS), has been postponed to June 11 at 5:30 PM IST due to adverse weather conditions. The launch, originally slated for June 10 and earlier delayed from June 8, will now proceed from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.This delay, though brief, underscores the mission’s strict safety protocols. ISRO confirmed the new schedule while emphasizing that crew welfare and optimal launch parameters remain…

18 Apr

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

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaIndian astronaut, ISS mission, Shubhanshu Shukla, SpaceX Falcon 9

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…