India is poised to witness a historic leap in space exploration as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a fighter pilot from the Indian Air Force, prepares to become the second Indian to travel to space, nearly four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s mission in 1984. Shukla will lift off tomorrow morning at 8:22 am IST as part of the India-US joint Axiom-4 mission, also known as ‘Mission Akash Ganga’.

The Mission: Akash Ganga Takes Flight

The Axiom-4 mission, launched by Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA, will ferry a four-member crew aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station (ISS). The international team includes:

• Dr. Peggy Whitson (USA) – Mission Commander

• Slawoj Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland)

• Tibor Kapu (Hungary)

• Shubhanshu Shukla (India) – Mission Pilot

This marks a significant milestone for India's human spaceflight aspirations, with ISRO nominating Shukla for this private astronaut mission ahead of the Gaganyaan mission, scheduled for 2026.

A Journey from Lucknow to Low Earth Orbit

Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Shukla’s journey is one of relentless pursuit and patriotic drive. Inspired by the 1999 Kargil War, he cleared the NDA entrance at a young age and later earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from NDA and an M.Tech in Aerospace Engineering from IISc Bangalore.

Commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2006, Shukla flew various advanced aircraft including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, and An-32, clocking over 2,000 hours of flying experience. By March 2024, he had risen to the rank of Group Captain.

In 2019, he was selected by ISRO and the Institute of Aerospace Medicine for astronaut training and underwent rigorous training at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

Honored and Prepared

In 2024, PM Narendra Modi officially named Shukla as one of the astronauts for India’s Gaganyaan mission. For now, Shukla will represent India in a global crew, carrying out scientific experiments aboard the ISS.

Currently in pre-launch quarantine, Shukla expressed his joy, saying:

“It was a dream for me. I’ve been flying all my life and always hoped for this moment. I was told just a week before arriving at Axiom that I would be part of this mission.”

Celebrations at Home

At his Lucknow residence, pride and emotion run high. Posters of Shukla adorn the walls, and family members, neighbors, and supporters are gearing up to celebrate the launch that will put India once again among the stars.