India is filled with pride as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force test pilot, embarked on a historic journey to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 25, 2025, as part of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). This marks the first time an Indian astronaut has set out for the ISS, a significant milestone in the nation’s space exploration journey, 41 years after Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian in space in 1984.
Shukla, piloting the Ax-4 mission, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft. Joined by veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson of the United States, and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, Shukla’s crew is set to dock with the ISS on June 26, 2025, at approximately 4:30 PM IST. The mission, a collaboration between NASA, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Axiom Space, and SpaceX, highlights India’s growing role in global space exploration.
In a heartfelt message from orbit, Shukla expressed his pride in carrying the Indian tricolor and the hopes of millions of Indians. He described the launch as an “amazing ride” and emphasized that this mission signals the start of India’s human spaceflight program. Over the next 14 days, the crew will conduct over 60 scientific experiments, including seven designed by ISRO, focusing on areas like microgravity’s effects on crop seeds, microalgae growth, and tardigrade resilience in space. These experiments aim to support India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission, the country’s first human spaceflight planned for 2027.
The launch has sparked widespread celebration across India. In Shukla’s hometown of Lucknow, his parents joined students to watch the liftoff, with emotions running high as they witnessed history in the making. Students expressed inspiration, with one aspiring to become a space scientist, motivated by Shukla’s achievement.
This mission not only strengthens India’s partnership with international space agencies but also lays the groundwork for its goal of establishing a space station by 2035 and sending an astronaut to the Moon by 2040. Shukla’s journey embodies the aspirations of a nation eager to reach new heights in space exploration.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, July 15th, 2025
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