• Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is set to travel to the International Space Station in May as part of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission.

• Shukla will be India’s second national astronaut to go to space since 1984 after Rakesh Sharma's iconic spaceflight onboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft.

• Union Minister Jitendra Singh made the announcement after reviewing the work of the Department of Space and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in New Delhi on April 18.

• Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's mission, scheduled for May, marks a milestone in India’s expanding international space collaborations. 

Who is Shubhanshu Shukla?

• Shubhanshu Shukla was born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow.

• After graduating from CMS Aliganj Campus I, Shukla was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force in 2006. 

• As a combat leader and seasoned test pilot, he boasts an impressive 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. 

• Group Captain Shukla was shortlisted under ISRO's Human Spaceflight Program and is among the top contenders for the Gaganyaan mission.

• His journey aboard the Axiom-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.

• What sets Shukla’s mission apart is its strategic importance. Unlike the symbolic undertones of India's first human spaceflight, this time the focus is on operational readiness and global integration.

• Shukla’s participation underscores India’s growing engagement with public-private international partnerships in space and its resolve to emerge as a serious contender in human space exploration.

Axiom-4 mission

• The Axiom-4 mission (Ax-4) crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of the European Space Agency (ESA)/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary. 

• A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Ax-4 crew aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station from Florida. 

• Once docked, the Ax-4 astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days onboard implementing a full mission consisting of microgravity research, technology demonstrations, educational outreach, and media events.

• Ax-4 will be the second commercial spaceflight mission made up of government and ESA-sponsored national astronauts.

• The Ax-4 mission stands as a beacon of opportunity for India, Poland, and Hungary, each poised to leverage this mission to advance their national space programs.

• The first private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 1, lifted off in April 2022 for a 17-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory. 

• Axiom Mission 2 was launched in May 2023 with four private astronauts who spent eight days in orbit. 

• Axiom Mission 3 was launched in January 2024 and the crew spent 18 days docked to the space station.

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