IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla becomes the first Indian to reach the International Space Station, 41 years after Rakesh Sharma. Aboard the Ax-4 mission, Shukla will conduct pioneering food and nutrition experiments, marking a new era for India’s space ambitions and scientific collaborations with NASA and ISRO.
In a monumental stride for India’s space ambitions, Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is currently orbiting Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, en route to the International Space Station (ISS). He is set to dock at the orbiting laboratory at 7 a.m. EDT (4:30 p.m. IST) on Thursday, marking a historic moment as he becomes the first Indian to reach the ISS and only the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma’s legendary flight in 1984.
Shukla’s journey to space began at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12 noon IST) on Wednesday, as he launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft mounted on the company’s trusted Falcon 9 rocket.
NASA confirmed the launch with an official update:
“The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying four Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew members is orbiting Earth and on its way to the International Space Station after launching from Kennedy Space Center at 2:31 a.m. EDT on Wednesday.”
The Ax-4 mission is crewed by Commander Peggy Whitson, a veteran astronaut from the U.S., Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
NASA further announced that the spacecraft “will dock to the Harmony module’s space-facing port” on Thursday morning, concluding the critical journey from Earth to the ISS.
A Long-Awaited Homecoming to Space
This mission marks India’s return to human spaceflight after 41 years. Lucknow-born Shukla, who now stands at the cusp of history, shared a heartwarming message shortly after entering orbit:
“Namaskar, my dear countrymen! What a ride! We are back in space once again after 41 years. It’s an amazing ride. We are revolving around the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometres per second. This is not my journey alone—I am carrying the Indian flag with me. This is the journey of India’s human space flight.”
To make his space experience more personal and comforting, Shukla has carried along carrot halwa, moong dal halwa, and mango nectar—home-made Indian delicacies that will offer him a taste of home while he floats more than 400 kilometres above Earth.
Science at the Frontier: Pioneering Research Ahead
Once aboard the ISS, Shukla will embark on a series of pioneering space nutrition experiments, making this not only a symbolic but also a scientific milestone for India.
The experiments, crafted through collaboration between ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), and with support from NASA, will focus on sustainable life-support systems—a critical area for future long-duration space missions.
A major focus of the research involves understanding the impact of space conditions on edible microalgae, a highly nutritious and sustainable food source with immense potential for supporting life in deep-space missions. The experiments will explore how microgravity and space radiation affect the growth, genetic expression (transcriptomics), protein composition (proteomics), and metabolic functions (metabolomics) of various algal species. Results from these studies will be compared with parallel experiments conducted on Earth.
This research could revolutionize food sustainability in space, providing vital insights into closed-loop life-support systems that could one day enable human colonies on the Moon, Mars, or beyond.
A Symbol of India’s Global Rise
Shukla’s flight aboard the Ax-4 mission also symbolizes India’s emergence as a global space power. It highlights the country’s increasing contribution to international scientific collaboration, and its capability to blend indigenous innovation with global technological partnerships.
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The mission underscores India’s vision for human spaceflight through Gaganyaan, its first domestically-operated crewed mission, currently under development by ISRO. Until Gaganyaan takes flight, Shukla’s journey bridges the past and the future of India’s cosmic aspirations.
