Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is on his way to create history by becoming the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS).
The Axiom-4 Mission, carrying Group Captain Shukla and three other crew members, is set to dock with the ISS at 4.30 pm today. Dragon is carrying Ax-4 Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu. After 41 years, India will now have an astronaut in space. Lucknow-born Shukla will also be the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma’s flight in 1984.
Meanwhile, Shukla has sent a live message from space saying he is thrilled to be with his fellow astronauts. He has thanked everyone, adding that it is not a personal accomplishment, but a collective achievement of each one who has been a part of the journey.
Trained at Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and further prepared by ISRO and NASA, Shukla brings with him over 2 thousand hours of flying experience across frontline Indian Air Force platforms. In a live webcast from space, he shared details about his journey.
This historic mission carries four astronauts, from the US, India, Poland, and Hungary, to the ISS for a 14-day scientific expedition in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Mission Commander Peggy Whitson from the US expressed her excitement, saying she feels proud of Shukla, who serves as the mission pilot.
Group Captain Shukla is also set to become the second Indian to venture into space, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who made history in 1984 aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 mission. Sharma, India’s first cosmonaut, reflected on his historic spaceflight, sharing insights from his time aboard the Soyuz mission.
As India counts down to the ISS docking, this mission stands as a powerful testament to the country’s return to human space exploration-and to the aspirations of a new generation of Indians inspired to look skyward.
