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Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a senior Indian Air Force officer and test pilot, is all set to make history as the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). He is part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), which is being launched by Axiom Space in partnership with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and SpaceX.
The launch is scheduled for 12:01 PM IST on June 25, 2025, from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida, United States. Shubhanshu Shukla is the pilot of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, which will be lifted into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The Crew Dragon is expected to reach the ISS in about 30 hours, with docking planned for around 4:30 PM IST on June 26, 2025. Along with Shukla, the crew includes commander Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei (Italy), and Marcus Wandt (Sweden).
The mission will last for approximately 14 days, during which the crew will carry out over 60 scientific experiments, including seven from India. These include studies related to microgravity, human biology, and materials science. Some of these experiments are contributed by Indian universities and the Indian Space Research Organisation’s payload team.
Before the launch, Shukla went through months of rigorous training in Houston, Texas and at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. He also underwent quarantine and final checks in Florida. This is the sixth time the launch has been rescheduled due to technical and weather-related delays. But everything is now confirmed for June 25.
This mission marks India’s return to human spaceflight after 41 years since Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 spaceflight. Shukla carries with him a symbolic zero-gravity indicator, a soft white swan toy named ‘Joy’ as well as Indian delicacies like halwa and mango nectar (Aam ras) to share aboard the station. He is also taking a special surprise gift for Rakesh Sharma, his childhood inspiration.
The mission is expected to return to Earth in early July. The crew will undock from the ISS and splash down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida.
With this historic flight, Shubhanshu Shukla will become the second Indian astronaut after Sharma to have travelled on board a space flight.
Shukla’s sojourn into space will also be a symbol of India’s growing space ambitions and global scientific collaboration.
