IAF Officer Shubhanshu Shukla to pilot NASA’s Axiom Mission 4 to ISS
Historic milestone for India in space exploration In a groundbreaking achievement, Indian Air Force (IAF) officer and ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has been selected as 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 4 will […] The post IAF Officer Shubhanshu Shukla to pilot NASA’s Axiom Mission 4 to ISS appeared first on PGurus.
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Historic milestone for India in space exploration
In a groundbreaking achievement, Indian Air Force (IAF) officer and ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has been selected as 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 4 will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, making Shukla the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS on a private mission.
Shubhanshu Shukla: An exceptional journey
Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is an accomplished combat leader and test pilot with extensive experience in the Indian Air Force (IAF).
- Commissioned into the IAF fighter wing in June 2006
- Over 2,000 flight hours across multiple aircraft, including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29,
- Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32
- Promoted to Group Captain in March 2024
- Trained at Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Moscow in preparation for spaceflight
In 2019, Shukla was selected by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) to undergo intensive astronaut training. On February 27, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially announced Shukla as one of the astronauts preparing for India’s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, scheduled for 2025.
Axiom Mission 4: A step toward commercial spaceflight
The Ax-4 mission marks another milestone in private astronaut missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
- Axiom Mission 1 (April 2022) – First private astronaut mission, lasting 17 days.
- Axiom Mission 2 (May 2023) – Four private astronauts spent 8 days in orbit.
- Axiom Mission 3 (January 2024) – The crew spent 18 days docked at the ISS.
Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command Axiom Mission 4, with Shubhanshu Shukla as the mission’s pilot.
The two mission specialists on board are:
- Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland, ESA astronaut)
- Tibor Kapu (Hungary)
Mission objectives and impact
Once docked at the ISS, the private astronauts will spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting scientific research, outreach programs, and commercial activities.
This mission is significant for multiple reasons:
- First ISRO astronaut on a private space mission
- First astronauts from Poland and Hungary to visit the ISS
Strengthened collaboration between NASA and ISRO
According to NASA’s International Space Station Program Manager Dana Weigel, “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.”
India’s growing role in space exploration
This mission underscores India’s rising influence in global space exploration. With ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission set for 2025, Shukla’s selection for Axiom Mission 4 highlights India’s increasing contributions to human spaceflight and international collaborations in space technology.
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