Indian Air Force celebrates Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's "landmark Space Mission" to ISS

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has lauded Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's historic journey into space, describing it as a proud leap from "conquering the skies to touching the stars." Shukla made history on Wednesday by becoming the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS) on a private commercial mission, piloting SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft as part of the Axiom-4 mission. The IAF's congratulatory message on X emphasized that his mission is "a reaffirmation of India’s ever-expanding horizon" and a "déjà vu moment" 41 years after Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma first carried the Indian Tricolour beyond Earth.

Shukla, an Indian Air Force pilot, is joined by three international crewmates for the 14-day Axiom-4 mission, which successfully lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During their tenure aboard the ISS, the crew will conduct over 60 microgravity experiments, with seven crucial experiments specifically designed by Indian institutes, as highlighted by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh. Dr. Singh remarked that "India’s rise to the status of Viksit Bharat has taken flight through space," asserting that this achievement vindicates the founding fathers of India's space program and positions India as an "equal partner in all our collaborations."

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, born in Lucknow in 1985 and commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in 2006, is also one of the four astronauts chosen for ISRO’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission. His participation in this commercial mission provides critical experience for India's human spaceflight aspirations. His role as mission pilot involves navigating the spacecraft towards its precise docking with the ISS, approximately 400 km above Earth, further showcasing the discipline and skills inherent in military-trained pilots, a tradition in space exploration since its inception.

The successful launch, after several delays, underscores the growing collaboration in the global space sector. Shukla's efforts on the ISS, particularly with the Indian-designed experiments focusing on areas like muscle deterioration, plant growth, and microbial behavior in microgravity, are expected to provide vital data for future space exploration initiatives, including India's own Gaganyaan program and the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station.