Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla: All you need to know about first Indian going to Internation Space Station

Shubhanshu Shulka is set to make history as the first Indian to step onto the International Space Station (ISS). His SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS on June 11 at 10 PM IST. As the pilot of the Axiom-4 mission, Shukla will launch alongside a crew of three astronauts at 5:52 PM IST on June 10. This team includes Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and mission leader; Polish astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski; and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu. The Axiom-4 mission aims to conduct a total of 60 experiments aboard the ISS, leveraging the expertise of this four-member crew. Among these experiments, seven are organized by ISRO (the Indian Space Research Organisation), with Shukla actively participating in five projects related to NASA’s human research program.

Here are all the details you need about Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla:

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is a pilot with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and has been chosen as one of four astronauts for India’s exciting Gaganyaan mission, which will be the country’s first-ever human spaceflight.

Early life and education

Born on October 10, 1985, in Triveni Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Shukla is raised with two elder sisters and is fluent in both English and Hindi. He completed his early education at City Montessori School in Lucknow before moving on to the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, where he earned a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) degree. After that, he pursued further studies at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, obtaining a Master of Technology degree.

Career

He began his career in the IAF in June 2006 and has since become a skilled pilot. With over 2,000 flight hours, he has experience flying many types of aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. His hard work and dedication earned him the rank of group captain in March 2024.

In 2019, Shukla received an important opportunity from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to train for space travel. He underwent tough training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia, which lasted a year and prepared him for the challenges ahead. On February 27, 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Shukla as one of the astronauts preparing for Gaganyaan, scheduled to launch in 2025.

He will be using the call sign "Shux" during the Axiom-4 mission.

Personal life

Shukla, affectionately known as "Gunjan" by his family, upholds a strict regimen of discipline in fitness and training. He noted that his wife, who is a dentist, and their four-year-old son provide strong support for his endeavors, while his parents and sisters continue to reside in Lucknow.

In a discussion about the comparison between military experience and astronaut training, Shukla remarked that the mission involves numerous international partners and a variety of components that are widely distributed. He explained that training takes place at different facilities across the United States, covering areas such as mission systems, emergency procedures, and zero-gravity operations.

He shared on January 30 that the first Indian astronaut had traveled to space in 1984 and that he was born a year later, in 1985. He mentioned that he grew up reading about this astronaut in his textbooks and listening to stories about space. However, he expressed that his desire to become an astronaut didn't develop because India did not have an active program at the time.

As he gets ready to pilot the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station, Shukla feels proud and excited to play a part in India’s journey into space and its advancements in human space exploration.

Shukla expressed that, although he may be traveling alone, his journey represents the aspirations of 1.4 billion people. He plans to take items that reflect India's cultural diversity and intends to showcase yoga in space.

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