Indian Astronaut Set to Make History on Axiom-4 Mission

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a brave pilot from the Indian Air Force, is ready to make history. On June 10, 2025, he will lift off in a SpaceX Crew Dragon rocket as part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax‑4). He’ll join three other astronauts on a 14-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Shukla will serve as the pilot, working alongside commander Peggy Whitson from NASA, and mission specialists from Poland and Hungary. This makes him the first Indian to pilot a spacecraft and the second Indian in space, after Rakesh Sharma in 1984.

The mission includes seven microgravity experiments made by Indian scientists. These tests will study things like muscle regrowth, how plants like moong beans grow in space, and even tiny animals called tardigrades. They’ll also do a special health study called Suite Ride, checking how astronauts handle sugar levels in space—important for understanding diabetes.

Shukla has trained hard at places like NASA and Russia’s cosmonaut center. He has flown over 2,000 hours in fighter jets like the Su‑30 and MiG series. He’s nicknamed “Shux” and has been described by his crew as “operational-savvy” and “wicked smart”.

They are expected to launch at 8:22 a.m. EDT (5:52 p.m. IST) from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center and dock the ISS on June 11. Over the next two weeks, they will conduct around 60 research experiments, from biology and materials science to Earth observation.

This mission is a big moment for India, showing its growing role in international space work. It also builds experience ahead of ISRO’s own Gaganyaan mission planned by 2027