Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a distinguished pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF), will serve as pilot for Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), launching no earlier than spring 2025.
NASA and its international partners have approved the four-member crew, including Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) astronaut Shukla, for the commercial mission commanded by Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
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The Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and travel to the space station. Once docked, the private astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprised of science, outreach, and commercial activities.
The mission will send the first ISRO astronaut to the station as part of a joint effort between NASA and the Indian space agency. The private mission also carries the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to stay aboard the space station.
The Ax-4 mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years, according to Axiom Space. The Ax-4 mission stands as a beacon of opportunity for India, Poland, and Hungary, each poised to leverage this mission to advance their national space programs,
While Ax-4 marks these countries’ second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the ISS. This historic mission underscores how Axiom Space is redefining the pathway to low-Earth orbit and elevating national space programs globally.
Shukla will be India’s second national astronaut to go to space since 1984. He has been handpicked as one of the four astronauts for the ISRO’s historic Gaganyaan mission—the nation’s inaugural human space flight endeavor.
Born on Oct. 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, Shukla possesses fluency in both English and his native Hindi. His journey began when he was commissioned into the IAF fighter wing in June 2006.
As a combat leader and seasoned test pilot, he boasts an impressive 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. His ascent to the rank of group captain in March 2024 reflects his exceptional contributions.
In 2019, Shukla received a momentous call from ISRO. He embarked on rigorous training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow, Russia—a year-long preparation that would shape his destiny.
On Feb. 27, 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled Shukla as one of the elite astronauts undergoing intensive training for India’s maiden human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, scheduled for launch in 2025.
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Shukla is honored and excited as he prepares to pilot the historic Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the ISS, leaving an indelible mark on India’s remarkable advancements in human space exploration.
Photo: The Axiom Mission 4 crew (l to r): Tibor Kapu of Hungary, ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, and European Space Agency astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland.