ISRO's Shubhanshu Shukla: 7 reasons why India is investing on Indian astronaut for Axiom-4 mission

A new chapter for India’s space ambitions is about to be scripted as Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force is set to become the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS) under the Axiom Mission 4. However, the mission that is jointly coordinated by Axiom Space, NASA and ISRO, represents far more than a symbolic milestone.

Shubhanshu Shukla is part of India's Gaganyaan program, which aims to send humans into space in a crewed vehicle. Shukla's 14-day journey during the Axiom-4 mission will give him a firsthand spaceflight experience that his fellow Gaganyaan crew members currently lack. ISRO has officially declared 2025 as the 'Year of Gaganyaan', making Shukla’s mission timely and critical.

India has set out a plan to launch its own space station—Bharat Antariksha Station—by 2035. Shukla’s ISS mission will also help to gather operational knowledge essential for establishing and maintaining an orbital outpost. This mission is crucial for it is a preparatory step towards India’s independent long-term presence in space by 2030 and beyond.

Aboard the ISS, Shukla will be part of nearly 60 international experiments. Out of these, ISRO will lead seven, exploring several areas such as microgravity’s effect on muscle loss, algae growth, crop germination, and cyanobacteria. These findings will help to shape India's biological and technological research in space.

At an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore or over $60 million according to India Today, the mission may seem expensive. However, space investment has consistently paid off India. Even missions like Chandrayaan-2 that did not fully meet their objectives, laid groundwork for later success. From Aryabhata (1975) which costed Rs 3 crore at the time to Chandrayaan-3 (2023) which costed Rs. 613 crore, India has never hesitated to invest strategically.

Another very important reason that makes the mission important is that space, today is not just about exploration anymore. It now influences national defence, communication, climate study, natural resource access, and especially tourism. Participating in missions like Ax-4 will put India at the forefront of these strategic sectors in near future.

Ax-4 is an example of how India is embracing international cooperation. The mission has seen the participation of astronauts from the US, Hungary, and Poland, and involves agencies like SpaceX, NASA and Axiom Space. This exchange of data and expertise is key to ISRO’s global integration.

The Ax-4 crew will also engage in live communication with students from space using ISS radio systems. A dedicated amateur radio link will allow the students to directly communicate with Shukla in real-time. This initiative will bring space closer to classrooms, fuelling curiosity as well as shaping India’s next generation of space scientists and engineers.