Indian Air Force officer Shubhanshu Shukla, recently named the ‘Prime’ astronaut for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission, has been selected to pilot Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), set for Spring 2025. This mission, commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, marks a significant milestone for India, Poland, and Hungary, as it will be each country’s first government-backed human spaceflight in more than four decades. Other crew members include ESA project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu.
Shukla will become the second Indian astronaut to travel to space since 1984. His journey began in June 2006 when he was commissioned into the IAF fighter wing. A decorated combat leader and test pilot, he has accumulated 2,000 hours of flight experience on multiple aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, and Jaguar. His promotion to group captain in March 2024 reflects his remarkable achievements in aviation and space exploration.
His selection for the Ax-4 mission comes after years of rigorous training. In 2019, ISRO identified him as a potential astronaut, leading to intensive training at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. On February 27, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially named him as one of the astronauts undergoing training for India’s historic Gaganyaan mission, which aims to launch a three-member crew into a 400 km orbit for a three-day mission before returning safely to Indian waters.
India’s space program has seen groundbreaking advancements, from the successful Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing to the Aditya L1 Solar Mission. ISRO has also developed reusable launch vehicle technology, expanded its satellite missions with XPoSat and INSAT-3DS, and recently marked its 100th launch from Sriharikota with the GSLV-F15 carrying NVS-02 on January 29. Looking ahead, India has ambitious plans, including the launch of its own space station by 2035, reinforcing its growing presence in global space exploration.