Shubhanshu Shukla, The First Indian Astronaut To Fly To ISS For Axiom Mission 4 — All You Need To Know

Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force officer and ISRO astronaut, is one of the pilots for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. With this, he will become the first Indian astronaut to travel to the ISS. 

Here is everything you need to know about Shubhanshu Shukla, and the Axiom Mission 4.

The mission was originally scheduled for lift-off on May 29 but was then put off to June 8, then June 10 and June 11, when engineers detected a liquid oxygen leak in the boosters of the Falcon-9 rocket and NASA also detected leaks in the ageing Russian module of the International Space Station.

"Based on the readiness status of the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle, the Dragon spacecraft, repairs in the Zvezda module of the Space Station, ascent corridor weather conditions, and the health and preparedness of the crew in quarantine, Axiom Space has informed that the next probable launch date is June 22," the ISRO said in a statement on June 18.

This mission features an international crew comprising astronauts from the United States, India, Poland and Hungary, making the mission a symbol of global collaboration in space exploration.

Shubhanshu Shukla is set to create history as the first Indian astronaut aboard the ISS and the second Indian to fly to space since 1984. He is also one of the four astronauts selected for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission, India’s first human spaceflight initiative.

The Lucknow-born Shukla, who goes by the call sign ‘Shux’, is part of an ISRO-NASA-supported commercial spaceflight by Axiom Space where all the customers are national governments.

Shukla began his professional journey in 2006 when he was commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) as part of the fighter wing.

Born in 1975 in Lucknow, Shukla has 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft. He has flown top IAF aircraft like the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier and An-32, showcasing his expertise over the years. He became group captain in 2024.

ISRO called Shukla in to serve as one of the astronauts on the Gaganyaan mission in 2019. Thereafter, he went to Russia to train for a year. In February 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced him as one of the Gaganyaan astronauts.

Ahead of his historic journey to the International Space Station (ISS), Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has termed the preparations for the Axiom-4 mission as an "amazing journey" and that he was extremely fortunate to be part of something that is "much larger than yourself".

In a post on X, the Indian Air Force expressed pride and support for Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission, stating, "As Group Captain Shubahanshu Shukla prepares to embark on Axiom-4 space mission tomorrow, Chief of the Air Staff and all Air Warriors of IAF wish him and the entire crew of Axiom-4 all the best for a safe and successful trip to the International Space Station. This will add a new chapter to the Indian Space Odyssey. Touch the sky with glory!"

ISRO confirmed that the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS is now scheduled for launch on June 22.

The launch will take place from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The crew will journey to the ISS aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which will be launched by a Falcon 9 rocket.

Space enthusiasts can follow the launch through a live webcast starting around two hours before liftoff. The stream will be available on the SpaceX website and also through X (formerly Twitter) @SpaceX.

NASA will also provide comprehensive coverage of the launch and docking on NASA+

The crew will carry out nearly 60 scientific experiments and activities, the highest number for any Axiom mission to date. The studies will represent the collaborative efforts of 31 countries, including India, the United States, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE, and several European nations.

The mission underscores a growing global commitment to advancing microgravity research in low-Earth orbit, with major contributions led by India, the US, Poland (in partnership with the European Space Agency) and Hungary. These countries are spearheading key scientific initiatives aimed at expanding international participation in space research.

The experiments span a wide range of fields, including human health, Earth observation, life sciences, biology and materials science.