India Returns to Space After 41 Years as Air Force Pilot Joins Historic Axiom Mission
In a moment that has reignited national pride and excitement across India, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has become only the second Indian in history to travel to space, marking the country’s return to human spaceflight after more than four decades.
The 39-year-old Indian Air Force officer lifted off aboard the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) — a landmark commercial spaceflight organized by Axiom Space, in collaboration with NASA, ISRO, the European Space Agency (ESA), and SpaceX.
The Falcon 9 rocket launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 02:31 EDT (06:31 GMT, 12:01 IST) on Wednesday.
Once the Dragon spacecraft docks with the International Space Station (ISS) after a 26-hour journey, Group Captain Shukla will make history as the first Indian to visit the ISS, and only the second Indian to go to space, 41 years after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.
The Ax-4 mission is helmed by space veteran Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and record-holder with over 675 days in space and 10 spacewalks to her name.
The crew also includes Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary both marking their nations’ return to crewed spaceflight for the first time in over 40 years.
India’s space agency, ISRO, hailed the launch as a vital milestone. It paid ₹5 billion ($59 million) to secure Shukla’s seat and training, viewing the mission as a critical step toward preparing for its own first indigenous human spaceflight (Gaganyaan), planned for 2027.
Group Captain Shukla was shortlisted last year as one of four IAF officers selected for the Gaganyaan programme. His hands-on experience aboard the ISS is expected to significantly benefit ISRO’s preparations.
The mission has captured the imagination of millions in India, especially with the government’s newly unveiled vision to establish a space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040 — bold steps that signal the country’s intent to be a serious contender in the new global space race.
Ahead of launch, the Ax-4 crew underwent extensive training and quarantine procedures, in line with international safety protocols.
The flight reinforces a growing trend toward public-private partnerships in space exploration, with commercial missions playing an increasingly vital role.
As Captain Shukla orbits the Earth aboard the ISS, his journey is being hailed as a symbol of India’s growing technological ambition and a tribute to the pioneering legacy of its space heroes past and present.
