India Returns to Space: Shubhanshu Shukla Embarks on Historic Axiom-4 Mission

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force etched his name into history on Wednesday as he launched aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, becoming only the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic mission in 1984.

Shukla lifted off at 12:01 pm IST as part of the Axiom Space’s fourth private mission to the International Space Station (ISS), known as Ax-4. The 14-day journey features a four-member international crew, including NASA veteran Peggy Whitson, Poland’s Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu. Together, they will carry out over 60 scientific experiments representing 31 nations aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Shukla, who hails from Lucknow, is serving as the mission’s pilot. Moments after reaching space, he shared his excitement with the nation: “Namaskar, my dear countrymen! What a ride! We are back in space once again after 41 years. It’s an amazing ride.”

The IAF officer emphasised that this mission marks not just a milestone for him but a significant leap in India’s ambitions for human space exploration. He stated that this is not the beginning, but a turning point, as the country looks ahead to its indigenous human spaceflight mission — Gaganyaan, scheduled for 2027.

The Ax-4 mission is being viewed as a vital stepping stone toward Gaganyaan, which aims to send an Indian crew into low-earth orbit. India also plans to launch its own space station by 2035, followed by a human mission to the Moon by 2040.

Congratulating Shukla, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X, “Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is on his way to become the first Indian to reach the International Space Station. He carries with him the hopes and dreams of 1.4 billion Indians. Wishing him and the mission great success.”

The crew is expected to dock with the ISS’s Harmony module around 4:30 pm IST on Thursday, with the journey from launch to docking taking approximately 28 to 29 hours.

NASA confirmed that this mission reflects a longstanding partnership with ISRO, following a commitment made during the 2024 Trump-Modi summit to expand civil space collaboration and send an Indian astronaut to the ISS.

“NASA and ISRO are jointly conducting five scientific experiments and two STEM education demonstrations aboard the station,” the agency said in a statement, highlighting the deepening cooperation between the two space agencies.

The launch faced several delays in recent weeks due to technical issues, including a faulty electrical harness, preparation setbacks with the Falcon 9 rocket, adverse weather, and a minor oxygen leak aboard the ISS. Even on the day of the launch, SpaceX engineers had to address a critical glitch related to wind data uploading — essential for enabling the launch escape system — which was resolved just 35 minutes before lift-off.

Also Read: Axiom Mission 4 Postponed Again; New Launch Date to Be Announced Soon