New Delhi, April 18: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) next month as part of the Axiom-4 mission, Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced on Friday, marking India’s most significant human spaceflight since Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 voyage aboard Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft.
“Shukla’s journey is more than just a flight – it’s a signal that India is stepping boldly into a new era of space exploration,” Singh said after reviewing the work of the Department of Space and ISRO.
A decorated test pilot from the Indian Air Force, Group Captain Shukla was shortlisted under ISRO’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme and remains a top contender for India’s first indigenous crewed mission.
His flight aboard Axiom’s mission, operated in collaboration with NASA and private partners, will provide crucial experience in spaceflight operations, microgravity adaptation, launch protocols, and emergency preparedness.
“What sets Shukla’s mission apart is its strategic importance,” an official statement said. “Unlike the symbolic undertones of India’s first human spaceflight, this time the focus is on operational readiness and global integration.”
The mission reflects India’s growing participation in international space partnerships, positioning the country as a serious player in human space exploration. Singh said such collaborations align with India’s vision of a developed and self-reliant space economy.
ISRO is also preparing for a series of significant launches:
The NISAR satellite, jointly developed with NASA, will launch in June aboard the GSLV-Mark 2.
In July, ISRO will launch BlueBird Block-2 satellites for U.S.-based AST SpaceMobile using the LVM-3 heavy-lift rocket.
The upcoming PSLV-C61 mission will carry EOS-09, a satellite equipped with C-band synthetic aperture radar to provide high-resolution imaging in all weather conditions.
The Test Vehicle-D2 (TV-D2) mission will simulate an abort scenario, testing the Gaganyaan Crew Escape System, followed by sea recovery operations for the Crew Module.
