From IAF pilot to astronaut: Axiom-4 pilot Shubhanshu Shukla's journey to space

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has jetted off to the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He will be accompanied by three other astronauts - Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and mission specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Shubhanshu's journey towards a space trip started in 2019. The Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), an organisation under the Indian Air Force for the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme, picked Shukla in the astronaut selection process. He was later shortlisted in the final four by IAM and ISRO.

Nicknamed Shux, Shubhanshu Shukla's friends and colleagues say he is an extremely intelligent person, with exceptional mental capabilities and the way he processes knowledge. Peggy Whitson says his "technical knowledge" is an exceptional asset for the Axiom-4 mission.

Shubhanshu Shukla's flying career

Shukla completed his military training and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the National Defence Academy in 2005. The next year, he started his journey with flying aircraft when he was commissioned into the IAF fighter wing.

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Shubhanshu has 2,000 hours of flight experience with jets like Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk and more. He was elevated to group captain in March 2024 for his achievements and brilliant work. After the IAM selection process, he was one of only four astronauts to be finally picked by IAM and ISRO. Shubhanshu received basic astronaut training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia, which he completed in 2021.

Shubhanshu Shukla chosen for Gaganyaan

After returning to India, he received further training at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru. His years of hard work paid off when he was chosen to be a part of Gaganyaan, India's first human space mission. The first crewed mission is expected to be launched in 2026. The names of the astronauts who would be a part of Gaganyaan were announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 February 2024 at ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.

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What is the Axiom-4 mission?

But before Gaganyaan, Shukla has made history by becoming only the second Indian to go to space. The trip is happening aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Dragon capsule. India has paid space company Axiom a whopping $70 million for a seat to the International Space Station. That is nearly Rs 599 crore. Axiom-4 is carrying around 60 scientific studies from 31 countries to the ISS. Rakesh Sharma was the last Indian to fly to space aboard a Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme.