India’s Second Astronaut in Space After 40 Years: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla Lifts Off with Axiom-4 Crew
GG News Bureau
Kennedy Space Center (Florida), 25th June: In a historic leap for India’s space ambitions, Indian Air Force pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has soared into space aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft as part of the Axiom-4 mission, launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s legendary Launch Complex 39A — the same pad from which Apollo 11 carried Neil Armstrong to the Moon in 1969.
Group Captain Shukla becomes the second Indian astronaut to travel to space, over four decades after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission aboard a Soviet spacecraft. The landmark launch marks a new chapter in India’s human spaceflight journey and showcases the country’s growing presence in global space missions.
The four-member Axiom-4 crew, headed to the International Space Station (ISS), includes Commander Peggy Whitson (USA), mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary), alongside Group Captain Shukla. During their fortnight-long mission, the team is expected to conduct 60 scientific experiments, seven of which have been proposed by Indian researchers, covering fields from biology to material science.
The mission’s launch was delayed multiple times due to technical issues and weather conditions, making today’s liftoff even more significant. It took six different scheduled dates before NASA finally confirmed June 25 for the launch.
Ahead of the launch, Group Captain Shukla shared a powerful message that captured the emotion of the nation:
“I carry with me not just instruments and equipment, but the hopes and dreams of a billion hearts.”
Just hours before boarding, he sent a personal note to his family:
“Just wait for me, I’m coming.”
In preparation for the mission, Shukla had been in strict quarantine for over a month to ensure peak physical health. The Axiom-4 capsule is scheduled to dock with the ISS at around 4:30 PM IST on June 26, after an approximately 28-hour journey in orbit.
India’s participation in this commercial space mission, in partnership with SpaceX and Axiom Space, reinforces its rising stature in the global space ecosystem, and sets the tone for future indigenous missions, including ISRO’s ambitious Gaganyaan programme.
As Group Captain Shukla floats beyond Earth, the countdown begins for a new era of Indian space exploration.
