Indians are making strides in every field, bringing pride to both their country and the world. In a major development, Indian Air Force (IAF) officer and ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has been selected to be the pilot for NASA’s Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a private spaceflight set to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) in the summer of 2025.
The Axiom Mission will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, making Shubhanshu Shukla the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) on a private mission.
According to the official website of Axiom Space, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a distinguished pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF), has been handpicked as one of the four astronauts for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) historic Gaganyaan mission—the nation’s inaugural human space flight endeavor.
Meet man, who is set to become first Indian to fly to International Space Station on NASA Axiom Mission 4; he is from…, name is…
Shubhanshu Shukla, born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, is fluent in both English and Hindi. His career in the Indian Air Force (IAF) began when he was commissioned into the fighter wing in June 2006. As a skilled combat leader and experienced test pilot, he has accumulated over 2,000 flight hours across a range of aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. His exceptional contributions led to his promotion to the rank of Group Captain in March 2024.
In 2019, Shubhanshu Shukla received a pivotal call from ISRO, marking the beginning of a transformative journey. He underwent rigorous training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow, Russia, for a year, preparing him for a monumental mission. On February 27, 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Shukla as one of the select astronauts undergoing intensive training for India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, which is set to launch in 2025.
“Shukla is honored and excited as he prepares to pilot the historic Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS), leaving an indelible mark on India’s remarkable advancements in human space exploration,” reads the statement on the website.
As per the official website of NASA, 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. The second private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 2, also was commanded by Whitson and launched in May 2023 with four private astronauts who spent eight days in orbit. The most recent private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 3, launched in January 2024; the crew spent 18 days docked to the space station.
Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and Director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shukla will serve as pilot, said NASA.
The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. “I am excited to see continued interest and dedication for the private astronaut missions aboard the International Space Station,” said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, news agency IANS reported. “As NASA looks toward the future of low Earth orbit, private astronaut missions help pave the way and expand access to the unique microgravity environment,” said the US space agency.
The Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and travel to the space station. Once docked, the private astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprised of science, outreach, and commercial activities. The mission will send the first ISRO astronaut to the station as part of a joint effort between NASA and the Indian space agency. The private mission also carries the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to stay aboard the space station.
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