IAF Extends Best Wishes to Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla for Axiom-4 Space Mission

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is an Indian Air Force test pilot and astronaut from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He joined the IAF in 2006 as a fighter pilot and has around 2,000 flying hours on various aircraft. Inspired by the Kargil War, he studied at the National Defence Academy and completed astronaut training in Russia and India. He is part of India's Gaganyaan program and now the first Indian to visit the ISS on the Axiom-4 mission.

The Axiom-4 mission is significant as it marks the first time an Indian citizen, Shubhanshu Shukla, will live and conduct experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS). It represents a major step in India's space exploration efforts, showcasing collaboration with NASA and ISRO, and advancing India's presence in human spaceflight. This mission also follows 41 years after Rakesh Sharma's spaceflight, highlighting a renewed focus on crewed space missions.

Axiom Space is facilitating the Axiom-4 mission, which involves sending a four-member crew, including Shubhanshu Shukla, to the ISS. The crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, demonstrating a partnership between private space companies and national space agencies. This collaboration helps India participate in international space missions and gain valuable experience in human spaceflight.

Shubhanshu Shukla completed basic astronaut training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia in 2021 and continued training at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru, India. His military experience as a combat leader and test pilot, along with his extensive flight hours, prepared him for spaceflight. He was selected through the Indian Air Force’s astronaut selection process and is part of India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight program.