Indian astronaut Subhanshu Shukla’s recent journey to space marks a transformative moment for India’s human spaceflight ambitions. According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), his 15-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will play a pivotal role in preparing for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission—the country’s first crewed spaceflight project.
Shukla is the first Indian to venture into space in 41 years, conducting a series of scientific experiments while aboard the SpaceX Dragonfly spacecraft and the ISS. Nilesh M Desai, Director of ISRO’s Space Applications Centre, highlighted the mission as a critical learning experience that will inform India’s future spaceflight strategies. “Subhanshu’s exposure to space, microgravity, and scientific research is a significant milestone for us,” Desai explained at a press briefing.
ISRO plans to begin the Gaganyaan mission with an unmanned flight later this year. This will be followed by two additional unmanned missions before sending Indian astronauts into space. The first crewed flight will last between two to seven days, using the knowledge gained from Shukla’s recent mission to refine the process.
The Axiom space mission, which included astronaut training and logistics, involved a total cost of around $72 million. This budget covered the training of two Indian astronauts in the United States, although only one—Subhanshu Shukla—was selected to fly, while Prashant Nair served as his backup.
The mission is a result of growing India-US space collaboration. An agreement signed during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the United States facilitated the participation of an Indian astronaut in a NASA-led mission to the ISS. The mission was conducted with the support of SpaceX, using the Falcon launch vehicle to propel the Dragonfly spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center on June 25, 2025.
After docking with the ISS on June 26, Shukla spent 15 days conducting experiments designed to help India’s space program advance. The spacecraft undocked on July 14, and after a 22.5-hour return trip, it is expected to splash down off California’s coast at 3 PM IST. Post-landing, the crew will undergo medical evaluations and rehabilitation before returning to normal life.
