In News:

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to become the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) on a private mission, marking a significant milestone in India’s space diplomacy and international collaboration in human spaceflight.

Mission Details:

• Mission Name: Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4)
• Launch Vehicle: SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft
• Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA
• Tentative Timeline: Spring 2025
• Duration on ISS: Up to 14 days
• Mission Objectives: Conduct scientific experiments, educational outreach, and commercial activities, in collaboration with NASA and ISRO.

International Collaboration:

• The mission includes astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary—the first such trilateral collaboration in over four decades.
• Marks the return of human spaceflight for Poland and Hungary after a hiatus of more than 40 years.
• Demonstrates Axiom Space’s emerging role in redefining access to low-Earth orbit and supporting national space programs through private missions.

About Shubhanshu Shukla:

• Born: October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• Commissioned into IAF: June 2006, Fighter Wing
• Promoted to Group Captain: March 2024
• Current Role: Astronaut-designate for India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission
• Flight Experience: Over 2,000 hours across multiple aircraft including Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32
• Astronaut Training: Trained at Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Star City, Moscow (1-year program)

Historical Context:

• Rakesh Sharma remains the first Indian to travel to space (1984) aboard Soviet Soyuz T-11, under the Interkosmos program.
• Shukla’s upcoming mission marks a new era of Indian participation in international human space missions, particularly through private partnerships.