Four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s historic flight, India has returned to human spaceflight. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s journey aboard Axiom Mission 4 marks not just personal glory but heralds a new chapter in the nation’s cosmic ambitions. A report by Priyanka Tanwer

Forty-one years after Rakesh Sharma etched his name in history as the first Indian in space, another Indian name now echoes among the stars. On June 25, 2025, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an accomplished Indian Air Force pilot, soared into orbit aboard Axiom Mission 4—a privately funded international mission launched by SpaceX—becoming only the second Indian ever to travel into space.
The launch, which took place from NASA’s iconic launch complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, carried four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Dragon capsule “Grace.”
For Shukla, the journey was not just personal. It symbolized the rekindling of India’s long-dormant human spaceflight programme and heralded a new chapter in the nation’s cosmic ambitions.
The rocket’s white flame cut across the sky at 2:34 pm, carrying with it the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. Shukla’s participation in Axiom-4 (Ax-4) is historic in more ways than one. Not only is he the first Indian in space since 1984, but he is also the first Indian astronaut aboard the ISS, a floating laboratory where nations collaborate on humanity’s greatest scientific frontiers.
For many, the mission marks the end of a four-decade drought in Indian crewed spaceflight. After Rakesh Sharma’s week-long mission aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 in April 1984, India’s focus had largely remained on satellite development and unmanned exploration.
However, that changed in recent years as India’s space agency, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) began developing its indigenous human spaceflight programme — Gaganyaan. But with crewed Gaganyaan missions still two years away, partnering with Axiom Space gave India a shortcut to experience the rigors of life in orbit.
Shubhanshu Shukla, 39, joined three other astronauts on the Ax-4 mission, including Peggy Whitson, veteran American astronaut and mission commander, Sławosz Uznanski-Wiśniewski, an ESA-backed scientist from Poland, and Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer from Hungary.
The team docked with the ISS on June 26 at 16.01 IST, nearly 28 hours after launch. They were greeted by the Expedition 71 crew already aboard the station. Over the course of their two-week mission, the Ax-4 astronauts will conduct more than 60 scientific experiments—ranging from microgravity’s effects on cancer cell growth to DNA repair and microbial resistance.
Shukla’s research portfolio includes experiments designed by Indian scientists, offering insights into physiology, material science, and even traditional Indian medicine in microgravity. Symbolically, he also carried with him Indian culinary items such as mango nectar and curry—blending culture and science in a voyage that reflects India’s distinct voice in the cosmos.
During a live video call from space, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Shukla, calling him “India’s pride in orbit.”
“You may be far from the motherland,” Modi said, “but you are closest to every Indian heart today.”
Shukla, floating in zero gravity and wrapped in the Indian Tricolor, responded with humility and said, “This is not my journey alone. It is the journey of 1.4 billion people. I am here because of decades of dreams, training, and the hard work of thousands of scientists and citizens.”
India’s participation in Axiom-4 is more than symbolic—it is strategic. With the Gaganyaan mission facing technical and safety-related delays, this international collaboration allows India to gather live training data for future astronauts, experiment in space-borne sciences, and test protocols and life support systems.
ISRO, meanwhile, is preparing for its own uncrewed Gaganyaan test flight later this year, with a crewed mission expected in 2027. In parallel, the agency has announced plans to build its own space station, the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, by 2028—a project that would place India alongside the US, Russia, and China as one of the few nations with permanent human presence in orbit.
India’s increasing engagement with commercial spaceflight, especially with private players like Axiom and SpaceX, is part of a global trend where governments leverage private innovation for public goals. As the International Space Station nears retirement by 2030, private space stations and lunar gateways are expected to become the next frontier—and India intends to be part of it.
India’s return to human spaceflight after 41 years is not just a story of one man’s journey—it’s a national milestone. As Shubhanshu Shukla orbits above us, he carries a legacy begun by Sharma, nurtured by ISRO, and now propelled by global collaboration. The message is clear: India is back in space—and this time, it’s here to stay.