India’s space programme achieved another milestone as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian to step onto the International Space Station and only the second Indian to travel to space. His successful completion of the Axiom Mission 4 has validated India’s stringent crew selection and screening process for the upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.
Air Vice Marshal Anupam Agarwal, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Medical), explained that crew selection for Gaganyaan was developed entirely from scratch after the mission was approved in December 2018. “There are numerous medical and physical parameters that must be considered when selecting the crew for a manned space flight. The Institute of Aerospace Medicine rendered yeoman service in this effort, as no country was willing to share the required information in this domain,” he said.
He noted that all four selected Gaganyatris — Group Captains Shukla, P B Nair, Ajit Krishnan, and Angad Pratap — underwent evaluation in Russia and that Group Captain Shukla was further screened in the United States as part of the Axiom mission. These assessments confirmed that India’s selection standards meet the highest international benchmarks.
Group Captain Shukla spent 18 days aboard the ISS before returning to Earth on July 15. Axiom Mission 4, a commercial mission led by Axiom Space, was carried out in partnership with NASA, ISRO, the European Space Agency, and SpaceX.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh honoured the four Gaganyatris at an event in the national capital, calling them “gems of the country” and symbols of India’s aspirations. Praising Group Captain Shukla, he said, “Completing two and a half year’s training in just two and a half months, he showcased his personal dedication and the perseverance of the Indian people. His extraordinary feat is not just a technological achievement, but a message of faith and dedication.”
The Gaganyaan programme is now in its final phase, with India’s first human spaceflight scheduled for early 2027. Key systems including the human-rated LVM3 rocket, the Crew Escape System, and the Crew Module are in advanced stages of testing. Four IAF pilots who completed training in Russia are undergoing further mission-specific training in India.
The programme has a financial outlay of ₹20,193 crore and is part of India’s long-term vision which includes building the Bharatiya Antariksha Station by 2035 and sending the first Indian to the Moon by 2040.
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