Shubhanshu Shukla: First Indian Astronaut Launching to ISS on May 29

The Axiom-4 space mission, which has Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three other astronauts, is set to launch on May 29. This exciting news was shared by the PTI news agency. Shubhanshu Shukla will make history as the first Indian astronaut to go to the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is a partnership between NASA (the U.S. space agency) and ISRO (the Indian Space Research Organisation). Shubhanshu will be the mission pilot and will work with three other international astronauts during their two-week stay at the ISS.

Shubhanshu Shukla’s achievement follows Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to travel to space in 1984 aboard Soyuz T-11.

Who is Shubhanshu Shukla?

Shubhanshu was born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He is a skilled pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) with over 2,000 hours of flying experience. Since joining the IAF in June 2006, he has flown various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, and more. Recently promoted to Group Captain in March 2024, he is also preparing for India’s Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send humans to space.

Shubhanshu’s journey to space began in 2019 when he trained hard at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center for more than a year.

What is Axiom Mission 4?

The Ax-4 mission is significant not just for India but also for Poland and Hungary, as all three countries will participate together in an ISS mission for the first time in over 40 years. The mission will be led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, and here’s who’s on the crew:

– Shubhanshu Shukla – Pilot
– Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) – Mission Specialist
– Tibor Kapu (Hungary) – Mission Specialist

The astronauts will spend up to 14 days in low-Earth orbit, working on scientific research and outreach activities. Axiom Space says this mission will change the way we think about space travel and help boost space programs around the world.