Who Is Shubhanshu Shukla? Indian Air Force Pilot Flying To ISS Today On Axiom-4 Mission

Last Updated:June 25, 2025, 10:02 IST

Nicknamed “Gunjan," Shukla is the youngest of three siblings and the first in his family to join the armed forces.

Shubhanshu Shukla, an accomplished fighter pilot with over 2,000 hours of flying experience, will now become the second Indian to be part of an operational spaceflight. (X)

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force (IAF), one of the astronauts selected under India’s Gaganyaan program, is set to launch into space today, June 25, after several delays due to bad weather and technical glitches. As part of the Axiom-4 mission to the Space Station (ISS), Shukla’s journey represents a landmark moment in India’s space exploration efforts.

The mission is part of a privately funded commercial initiative, with India reportedly investing over $60 million to secure Shukla’s seat on the ISS. His flight not only advances India’s human spaceflight ambitions but also strengthens the country’s growing footprint in global space collaborations.

Axiom-4 Mission

The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission is the fourth private astronaut expedition to the Space Station. It launches from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, propelled by a Falcon 9 rocket.

The mission is led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, now with Axiom Space, serving as commander. The international crew includes Slawosz Uznanski from Poland (European Space Agency) and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both serving as mission specialists. Group Captain Shukla joins them as the mission’s pilot — a role of high responsibility and precision.

Who Is Shubhanshu Shukla?

Hailing from Lucknow, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is an alumnus of City Montessori School in Aliganj. Commissioned into the IAF in 2006, Shukla has built a distinguished career as a fighter pilot with over 2,000 flying hours and more than 16 years of service.

Nicknamed “Gunjan," Shukla is the youngest of three siblings and the first in his family to join the armed forces. His aviation career has spanned multiple aircraft, including the Su-30MKI, MIG-21, MIG-29, Jaguar, and Hawk. He is a qualified fighter combat leader and a decorated test pilot.

Selected under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Program (HSP), Shukla is a top contender for the future Gaganyaan mission as well. For the past eight months, he has been undergoing intensive training with NASA and Axiom Space.

With his lift-off today, Shukla becomes the first Indian astronaut to venture into space in over four decades, following Rakesh Sharma’s historic flight aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in 1984.

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