PREVIEW

Indians are celebrating the arrival of their first astronaut in space for the first time in 41 years.

Indian Air Force officer Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla was among the international crew of Axiom’s Ax-4 mission when it blasted off in the early hours of Wednesday morning (25June2025).

Group Captain Shukla, who is piloting the mission, has become only the second Indian to travel to space, more than four decades after Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian in space, flying aboard a Soviet Soyuz mission in 1984.
When the spacecraft docks with the International Space Station (ISS) — expected to take place in just over 26 hours — he will make history as the first Indian to board NASA’s orbiting laboratory.

Ax-4, a commercial spaceflight operated by the Houston-based company Axiom Space, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 02:31 EDT (07:31 BST; 12:01 IST) on Wednesday. The mission is being led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, a veteran of three long-duration spaceflights and 10 spacewalks, who has commanded the ISS twice.

Group Captain Shukla is joined on the mission by Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary — both also representing their countries in space for the first time in more than 40 years. The multinational crew had undergone weeks of quarantine ahead of the launch.

“This mission shows that space exploration is no longer limited to a few nations — it’s a shared effort that reflects the best of what we can achieve together,” said Commander Whitson. “We launched a message to the world that science, exploration, and unity transcend borders. For me, returning to space is always a privilege. But leading this crew — representing the dreams and determination of India, Poland, and Hungary as they return to human spaceflight — that’s something truly special. We’re carrying the hopes of millions who dare to look up and imagine what’s possible. This is what the future of space looks like — bold, inclusive, and driven by purpose.”

The Ax-4 mission is the result of a collaboration between NASA, India’s space agency ISRO, and the European Space Agency (ESA). ISRO has said that the experience gained by Group Captain Shukla will be vital for India's upcoming human spaceflight ambitions.

The 39-year-old pilot was one of four Indian Air Force officers shortlisted for India’s first manned space mission, slated for 2027. India has also announced plans to establish its own space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040.

ISRO paid £43m ($59m) to secure Group Captain Shukla’s place on Ax-4, including training and mission support.

The launch — conducted using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket has sparked nationwide celebrations in India.

Born in Lucknow the year after Sharma went to space, Group Captain Shukla joined the Indian Air Force in 2006 as a fighter pilot and has since logged over 2,000 flying hours on aircraft including MiGs, Sukhois, Jaguars, Dorniers, and Hawks.