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India is ready to script history in its space journey, an international Space mission carrying Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has been scheduled for next month. After a high-level meeting, to review major future plans of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the coming months, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh announced this.
Minister Singh said, the mission will mark the visit of first Indian ever to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and the first Indian astronaut to travel to Space in over four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic 1984 flight aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.
The announcement comes after, Dr. V. Narayanan, Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, made a presentation elaborating the status of various upcoming Space missions.
Narayanan informed that Group Captain Shukla of the Indian Air Force is all prepared to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) next month as part of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission. He is an experienced Test Pilot with more than 2000 hrs of flying.
Shukla’s mission, scheduled for May 2025, marks a milestone in India’s expanding international space collaborations. A decorated test pilot with the Indian Air Force, he was shortlisted under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Program (HSP) and is among the top contenders for the Gaganyaan mission, India’s first indigenous crewed orbital flight.
His journey aboard the Ax-4 mission is expected to provide critical hands-on experience in spaceflight operations, launch protocols, microgravity adaptation, and emergency preparedness — all essential for India’s crewed space ambitions.
Unlike the symbolic undertones of India’s first human spaceflight, this time the focus is on operational readiness and global integration. His participation underscores India’s growing engagement with public-private international partnerships in space and its resolve to emerge as a serious contender in human space exploration.
India’s space strategy with Group Captain Shukla’s upcoming mission stands as a symbol of a confident, forward-looking nation ready to reclaim its place in the global space race. His journey is more than just a flight — it’s a signal that India is stepping boldly into a new era of space exploration.
