Who is Shubhanshu Shukla, Indian astronaut to pilot Ax-4 space mission on June 8?

The Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station (ISS), piloted by Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, has been rescheduled for launch on June 8, Axiom Space and NASA announced Wednesday.

Originally set for May 29, the Ax-4 mission will now launch at 9:11 am EDT (6:41 pm IST) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA said the mission has been postponed after reviewing the flight schedule of the International Space Station.

“After reviewing @Space_Station flight schedule, NASA and its partners are shifting launch opportunities for several upcoming missions. The new targeted no-earlier-than-launch opportunities, pending operational readiness, are: Axiom Mission 4: 9:11 am EDT, Sunday, June 8,” NASA posted on X.

The mission, jointly organised by US-based Axiom Space and NASA, features a crew of four astronauts representing India, Poland, and Hungary, each making historic national strides in space exploration.

Shukla, the mission pilot, is joined by Slawosz Uznanski, a European Space Agency project astronaut and Poland’s second astronaut since 1978, and Tibor Kapu, Hungary’s second national astronaut since 1980. Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, who holds the record for the longest cumulative time in space by an American, will command her second commercial human spaceflight mission.

The crew will spend up to 14 days aboard the ISS, conducting scientific experiments to advance microgravity research. Shukla will lead seven experiments, including India-centric studies on sprouting methi (fenugreek) and moong (green gram) in microgravity, supporting India’s ambitions to build its own space station by 2035 and send astronauts to the moon by 2047.

Shukla's travel to space, onboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, comes four decades after Rakesh Sharma's iconic spaceflight onboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft in 1984.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) selected Shukla as one of four astronauts for its Gaganyaan mission, India’s first human spaceflight.

Gaganyaan is expected to be launched in early 2027, with ISRO planning to send two astronauts into low Earth orbit in a spacecraft for a few days and bring them back to earth safely.

Who is Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla?

Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is a distinguished Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot and test pilot.

Fluent in English and Hindi, Shukla was commissioned into the IAF’s fighter wing in June 2006. With over 2,000 hours of flight experience on aircraft including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32, he earned the rank of group captain in March 2024.

In 2019, ISRO selected Shukla for the Gaganyaan mission. He underwent rigorous training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow, for a year.

On February 27, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Shukla as one of four astronauts preparing for Gaganyaan’s 2025 launch.

Shukla expressed pride in piloting the Ax-4 mission, a historic step for India’s space ambitions. His role in conducting microgravity experiments aboard the ISS highlights his contribution to advancing India’s scientific and space exploration goals.

"Shukla is honored and excited as he prepares to pilot the historic Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS), leaving an indelible mark on India’s remarkable advancements in human space exploration," Axiom Space website reads.