IAF pilot Shubhanshu Shukla will travel to the ISS in May 2025 aboard Axiom Space’s Ax-4, marking India’s return to human spaceflight after 40 years.
India is set to mark a major milestone in its space journey next month as it prepares to send an astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla into space for the first time in over four decades. Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh announced on Friday that Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) in May as part of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission.
This will be the first time an Indian will visit the ISS and the second time an Indian has traveled to space. The last Indian to undertake a spaceflight was Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in April 1984. Sharma’s journey, which made India the 14th nation to send a human to space, was a symbolic Cold War-era collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Soviet space agency.
Forty years later, India is returning to space with a renewed purpose—this time with a strategic vision aimed at strengthening its own human spaceflight capabilities and increasing its participation in international space partnerships.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a seasoned test pilot with the Indian Air Force, has been undergoing intensive astronaut training under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Program (HSP). He is one of the astronauts shortlisted for Gaganyaan, India’s ambitious mission to launch its first indigenously crewed spacecraft into low Earth orbit.
His upcoming flight aboard Axiom’s Ax-4 mission is expected to provide invaluable real-time experience in space operations, microgravity adaptation, and mission safety protocols—key elements for future Indian human spaceflights.
Announcing the mission after a high-level ISRO review meeting, Minister Singh said, “India is ready for its next space milestone.” He emphasized that the upcoming mission goes beyond a symbolic journey and is an essential step in building the foundation for long-term human space exploration by India.
“This mission will not only make Shukla the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station, but it also underscores India’s intent to emerge as a serious contender in the global space arena,” Singh added.
He further highlighted that India’s space programme has entered a new era marked by international collaborations, private sector involvement, and strategic planning aligned with national goals of becoming a self-reliant, technology-driven economy.
ISRO Chairman Dr V. Narayanan echoed the importance of this mission, stating that Shukla’s flight will be a critical precursor to the Gaganyaan mission. “This experience will help ISRO validate key aspects of astronaut training, mission planning, and international cooperation, which will be instrumental in launching our first indigenous human spaceflight,” Narayanan said.
Axiom Space, the US-based company organizing the Ax-4 mission, is a leader in private space travel and is working closely with NASA and other space agencies to enable commercial human spaceflight. The Ax-4 mission will carry a multinational crew to the ISS, offering a unique platform for collaboration, research, and training.
Unlike India’s first human spaceflight in 1984, which was largely symbolic, this mission is seen as a strategic investment in operational readiness and global integration. It also reflects India’s broader push to engage with emerging commercial space ventures and technologies.
Shukla’s journey to the ISS represents a convergence of scientific ambition and geopolitical foresight. As India positions itself alongside global space powers, the mission highlights the country’s capability and intent to not only participate in international missions but to lead its own in the near future.
With recent milestones such as the Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing and the successful launch of the Aditya-L1 solar mission, India’s space programme has been gaining international attention. The upcoming human spaceflight marks the next big leap, potentially opening doors for deeper space exploration, long-duration missions, and stronger global partnerships.
As the countdown begins, India looks forward to witnessing history in the making once again—four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic words from space: “Sare Jahan Se Accha.”
