Who is Shubhanshu Shukla? First Indian Astronaut To Travel To ISS For Axiom 4 Mission
Shubhanshu Shukla: India achieves a new feat in its space exploration efforts, as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to be the first Indian to enter the International Space Station. Shukla is one of the four astronauts who will fly to space as part of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.
As a part of the Axiom Mission 4, Shukla will onboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets scheduled to launch on 10 June. A historic leap for India and Sjhukla, he is also the first Indian in 41 years to enter the space orbit after Rakesh Sharma.
Let us tell you all about Shubhanshi Shukla, the man set to etch history with his exemplary triumph.
Shubhanshu Shukla’s Education & Family
Born and raised in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Shukla was a child with one dream: to fly. Born in October 1985, the Kargil War of 1999 served as his motivation to independently apply for the UPSC NDA exam.
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In 2005, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from National Defence Academy and completed his military training to set his foundations in his desired profession.
He then pursued a Master of Technology in Aerospace Engineering from IISc, Bengaluru.
Background in the Indian Air Force
After getting selected for the flying branch training at the Indian Air Force, he was commissioned into the Fighter stream of the Indian Air Force as a Flying officer.
A seasoned combat leader and test pilot, Shukla boasts of 2,000 hours flying experience with Jaguar, Hawk, Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, and more combat aircraft.
How did he land in Axiom Mission 4?
Shubhanshu was selected for India's Human Spaceflight Programme by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine in 2019.
He completed his basic training at Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Russia, with advanced training at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru.
He was announced to be part of the astronaut team for the mission by PM Modi in 2024.
What is Axiom Mission 4?
A ground breaking collaboration between NASA, SpaceX and ISRO, Axiom Mission 4 is a private spaceflight sending Indian astronauts to Space led by NASA’s Peggey Whitson.
Shukla will be the pilot on the mission, accompanied by Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland.
The 14-day long mission at the ISS includes conducting scientific experiments, commercial activity and the Ax-4 crew’s interaction with PM Narendra Modi, school students, and space industry leaders.
