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Shubhanshu Shukla
Indian test pilot and astronaut (born 1986) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Shubhanshu Shukla is a group captain and test pilot with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and gaganyatri (astronaut) with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). As of July 2025[update], he is serving as the mission pilot for Axiom Mission 4, a privately organised mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Shukla is the first ISRO astronaut to visit the ISS and the second Indian to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma's mission in 1984.[4][5][6] The cost of the seat allotted to him is estimated to be in the mid-$60-million range (approximately ₹500 crore), paid by the Indian government in 2025.[7][8]
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Early life and education
Shukla was born in Lucknow, and is the youngest of three siblings.[9] His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, is a retired government officer, and his mother, Asha Shukla, is a homemaker. He completed his schooling at City Montessori School in Lucknow. Motivated by the Kargil War in 1999, he appeared for and cleared the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy Examination.[10] He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from the National Defence Academy in 2005 and was subsequently selected for flying training at the Indian Air Force Academy.[11] He was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF as a flying officer in June 2006.[12][13]
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Air Force career
As of 2025[update], Shukla holds the rank of group captain. He is a qualified test pilot with over 2,000 hours of flying experience on a wide variety of aircraft, including the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, SEPECAT Jaguar, BAE Hawk, Dornier 228, and Antonov An-32.[14][12]
Astronautical career
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Training
In 2019, Shukla was shortlisted by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine for ISRO's Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. He was among four candidates selected for astronaut training and was sent to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia in 2020 for basic training, which concluded in 2021.[15] He later underwent mission-specific training at ISRO's Astronaut Training Facility in Bangalore and completed a Master of Engineering degree in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Science.[5]
On 27 February 2024, ISRO officially introduced Shukla as a member of the astronaut team for India's first human spaceflight mission.[5][16]
Axiom Mission 4
"Namaskar, my dear countrymen! What a ride! We are back in the space once again after 41 years. It's an amazing ride. We are revolving around the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometres per second. The Tiranga embossed on my shoulders tells me that I am with all of you. This journey of mine is not a beginning to the International Space Station but to India's Human Space Programme. I want all of you to be part of this journey. Your chest, too, should swell with pride... Together, let's initiate India's Human Space Programme. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!"
— Shubhanshu Shukla's first message from outer space addressing the nation[17]
Shukla is currently serving as the mission pilot for the ongoing Axiom Mission 4 mission to the International Space Station.[18] He is part of a crew led by commander Peggy Whitson, alongside mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu.[19][20][21] Fellow ISRO astronaut Prasanth Nair was designated as the backup crew member; both underwent training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The mission, a collaboration between NASA, SpaceX, and ISRO, is intended to strengthen international spaceflight cooperation.[22][23][24][25] SpaceX, serving as the launch provider, successfully launched the mission from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre[26]. Shukla is the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS, and the second Indian to travel to orbit, after Rakesh Sharma in 1984.[19] The Wire noted, "Sharma's mission was a pioneering, Soviet-led diplomatic gesture with limited immediate technological impact for India, while Shukla's mission is a commercially arranged effort where he will spend two weeks on the ISS, conducting around 60 experiments, with at least seven designated by ISRO."[27]
Indian President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Air Force congratulated Shukla on X.[28] While onboard the ISS, Shukla participated in public outreach, including a live videoconference with PM Modi on 28 June[29] and ham radio conversations with school students on 4 July[30] and 8 July.[31][32] On 6 July, Shukla participated in a conversation with Dr. V Narayanan, the Chairman of ISRO and other senior officials, who emphasized the importance of his experiments and activities in advancing India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.[33]
The mission successfully lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 25 June 2025 at 06:31 UTC. It docked with the ISS on 26 June 2025 at 10:31 UTC.[19] Shukla entered ISS at 12:14 UTC. A few minutes past 14:00 UTC, a formal welcome ceremony for the Ax-4 visiting crew took place, during which Whitson gave Shukla an astronaut pin, as the 634th person to reach space.[34][35]
Estimates suggest that the Indian government paid approximately ₹548 crore (US$65 million) for Shukla's seat on the mission. Some reports raised questions about the cost, especially when India is already working to develop its own human spaceflight capabilities. ISRO and Axiom Space officials have defended the cost, citing the benefits of the training and international collaboration.[36][37][38][39]
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Personal life
Shukla is married to Kamna Mishra, a dentist by profession, who was Shubhanshu's classmate at school. The couple has a son.[40]
Gallery
ISS on-orbit media of Shubhanshu Shukla
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Shukla (front row, third from left) with other Axiom Mission 4 (in black jumpsuits) and Expedition 73 (in white shirts) crewmates
PM Modi and Shukla's videoconference
References
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