India’s Celestial Leap: Shubhanshu Shukla to Pilot Historic ISS Mission in May

India will make history as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla takes the step to be the first Indian astronaut to spacewalk on the International Space Station (ISS) next month. Announced by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Axiom Mission Ax-4, which begins on May 29, 2025, will have Shukla fly crew on a SpaceX Crew Dragon from Florida for a 14–21-day stay at the ISS and will be the revival of human spaceflight capabilities for India after Rakesh Sharma's journey in 1984.

 

A Gaganyaan astronaut-designate and a IAF test pilot decorated, Shukla will conduct seven experiments, from bio-farming to microgravity science, to advance India's domestic crewed space mission13. The mission, in collaboration with NASA and Axiom Space, underscores India's growing place in global space collaborations.

 

Backup crew Group Captain Prasanth Nair and a 60-experiment crew belonging to 31 countries represent the size of the mission. Shukla will also showcase Indian culture with artefacts and yoga in space.

 

Source: PIB, Indian Express, Economic Times