India is about to make history once again, and this time it is not just about rockets or orbits. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an ace pilot from the Indian Air Force, is preparing to soar beyond the skies, becoming the second Indian ever in space and the first with an Indian passport to reach the International Space Station. This proud moment unfolds as part of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a collaborative journey involving Axiom Space, Nasa, and Isro.
Set to launch on June 08, 2025, from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, this mission will carry Shukla and an international team more than 400 kilometers above the Earth. He will serve as the pilot under the command of seasoned astronaut Peggy Whitson, alongside fellow space travelers from Poland and Hungary.
While the estimated cost of over ₹500 crore may raise eyebrows, this is not a cost to India—it is a visionary investment. Just like we placed ₹3 crore into Aryabhatta in 1975, or spent wisely on Chandrayaan missions, this journey is part of a bigger dream. The dream of a self-reliant India in space.
Aboard the ISS, Shukla and his team will engage in nearly 60 research activities across disciplines like robotics, space medicine, biology, and materials science. Isro is leading seven of these experiments, including studies on microalgae, human cognition, crop seed behavior, and space-borne resilience of microorganisms.
Beyond science, the mission is about sparking inspiration. The Ax-4 astronauts will communicate live with students across the world using Ham radio from the ISS, turning science into stories and knowledge into dreams.
This mission is the prologue to Gaganyaan, India’s own human spaceflight program, scheduled for liftoff within the next two years. By 2028, India plans to launch the first module of its own orbital home—the Bharat Antariksha Station.
Shubhanshu’s cosmic voyage is more than a journey to space. It is a symbol of India reaching for the stars, not just to touch them, but to live among them.
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