Hyderabad: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is on the cusp of making history as the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space station.
Born in October 1985 in Lucknow, Shukla's journey to the stars began in the classroom. He joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) at the age of 16 after being inspired by the heroic soldiers of the Kargil War. Determined to serve the nation, Shukla cleared the UPSC NDA exam and earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from the NDA in 2004.
A distinguished career in the Indian Air Force (IAF): Shukla's journey began when he was commissioned into the IAF fighter wing in June 2006. As a combat leader and seasoned test pilot, he has an impressive 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
His ascent to the rank of group captain in March 2024 reflects his exceptional contributions. In 2019, he was shortlisted by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine for ISRO's astronaut training group. In 2024, PM Modi officially announced his name as one of the four astronauts for the Gaganyaan mission. Shukla goes by the nickname 'Shuks'.
About the mission: The US-based Axiom Space is set to launch its Mission-4, carrying Shukla, along with three others, from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on June 10 at 5:52 pm IST. The mission was deferred three times before.
According to NASA, the delay was to "account for weather during vehicle transportation and completing final processing of the vehicle ahead of launch".
The Axiom Mission 4 with the four-member crew aims to carry out 60 experiments. This includes seven experiments planned by ISRO and five others in which Shukla will participate as part of NASA’s human research programme. Additionally, Shukla will be involved in five collaborative studies organised by NASA for the same programme.
The Crew Members: Shukla will be joined by seasoned astronaut Peggy Whitson as the mission commander, along with Polish astronaut Sawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu, who will serve as mission specialists. Shukla is expected to spend around 14 days aboard the ISS, where he will carry out various experiments on behalf of ISRO and NASA. This mission is crucial for ISRO, as the insights gained will significantly contribute to future projects like the Gaganyaan mission and human lunar landings.
Preparing for the historic mission: To prepare for this historic mission, Shukla and his fellow astronauts underwent extensive training with international space agencies including NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Japan. They completed a rigorous training at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, where they learned about communication systems, emergency response procedures, and conducted research activities inside the Columbus module of the ISS.
To ensure a nourishing experience for Shukla, ISRO is preparing a variety of dishes, including aam ras, moong dal halwa, gajar halwa and a selection of rice-based options, for his upcoming journey to the ISS. ISRO, in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has crafted a selection of meals specifically designed for astronauts on space missions. Initially intended for the Gaganyaan mission, these food items are now being provided to Shukla with NASA's endorsement. Moreover, Shukla has expressed his intention of sharing traditional Indian cuisine with his fellow astronauts.
Indian-origin Astronauts who went to Space:
- Rakesh Sharma: Rakesh Sharma is a former Indian Air Force pilot and astronaut who made history as the first Indian citizen to travel to space. Born on January 13, 1949, in Patiala, Punjab, Sharma was selected as a cosmonaut and flew aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T-11 on April 2, 1984. During this mission, Sharma spent 7 days, 21 hours and 40 minutes in space - conducting various scientific experiments with his Soviet crew members. One of the most memorable moments of his spaceflight was when he was asked by then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, how India looked from space. Rakesh Sharma’s iconic response was, “Saare Jahan Se Achha” (Better than the entire world).
- Kalpana Chawla: The first Indian-origin woman to go to space, Kalpana Chawla, went to space twice, but tragically died during her second mission. She took her first flight on the space shuttle Columbia in 1997 as a robotic arm operator. On her second flight aboard Columbia in 2003, she died along with seven other crew members, as the shuttle disintegrated during its re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. Her legacy, however, has lived on with space craters, space missions, supercomputers and numerous awards named after the brilliant scientist and aerospace engineer she was.
- Sunita Williams: Sunita Williams, once held the record for longest space walk by a woman at 50 hours and 40 minutes, and holds the record for most number of space flights by any Indian-origin astronaut, with three expeditions - 2006, 2012 and 2024. In 2007, she ran the first marathon by any person in space. From 1998, when she first began training as an astronaut, to 2024, she has a 26-year-long career as an astronaut.
- Raja Chari: In 2017, Raja Chari, who was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force, first began training to be an astronaut at NASA. By 2020, he was part of the Artemis team, an ambitious project, whose goal was “to help pave the way for the next lunar missions including sending the first woman and next man to walk on the lunar surface in 2024.” He became the first NASA rookie to command a spaceflight since 1981, when he went to space in the Space-X crew 3.Chari showed his skills and presence of mind, when his crew mate's helmet camera came loose during a spacewalk and Chari managed to fix it on the go.
- Sirisha Bandla: Sirisha Bandla, an Indian-American aeronautical engineer, has etched her name in history as the Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations for Virgin Galactic. Her journey from the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh to the boundless expanse of space exemplifies dedication and ambition. Bandla was part of the Virgin Galactic Unity 22 mission, marking her as the fourth person of Indian descent to cross the celestial threshold. Born into a Telugu-speaking family in Andhra Pradesh, Bandla’s fascination with space started early. In December 2022, she was named one of the BBC 100 Women.
