Indian Astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla Blasts Off to ISS, Marking India's Return to Space After 41 Years

 Indian Astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla Blasts Off to ISS, Marking India's Return to Space After 41 Years

Cape Canaveral, Florida — June 26, 2025

In a historic milestone for India’s space ambitions, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian astronaut in 41 years to venture into space, as the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday. The launch marks not only a return to human spaceflight for India but is being hailed as the symbolic beginning of the country’s own human space programme.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying a four-member international crew aboard the Dragon capsule, soared into the skies from Launch Complex 39A at precisely 12:01 p.m. local time. Within 10 minutes of lift-off, the Dragon spacecraft separated from the rocket’s second stage, initiating its journey toward the International Space Station (ISS).

Group Captain Shukla, a seasoned Indian Air Force pilot, is part of a diverse team that includes mission commander and veteran U.S. astronaut Peggy Whitson, and mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The crew is expected to dock with the ISS at around 4:30 p.m. IST on Thursday after a 28-hour journey through low Earth orbit.

Speaking from space shortly after the launch, Shukla delivered a heartfelt message:

“This is not just the beginning of my journey to the ISS, but the beginning of India’s human space programme. I want every Indian to be part of this journey. Let us come together and take this first step. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.”

Once docked, the Ax-4 crew will spend 14 days aboard the ISS, engaging in over 60 science and outreach activities representing 31 countries. Their work will include experiments in microgravity, biomedical research, and technology demonstrations — all part of an increasingly globalized and commercial approach to space exploration.

The mission is significant not only for Axiom Space and international collaboration, but for India’s future in human spaceflight. Shukla’s flight paves the way for ISRO’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send Indian astronauts into orbit aboard an entirely Indian-built spacecraft.

For millions watching across India and around the world, the successful launch of Ax-4 was more than a moment of pride — it was a powerful signal of India’s entry into a new era of space exploration.