Shukla Makes History as Second Indian in Space After 4 Decades
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla made history on June 25, 2025, becoming the second Indian astronaut to venture into space, over four decades after Rakesh Sharma's 1984 mission. Shukla, 39, served as pilot on the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission, a two-week private astronaut journey to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
The much-anticipated launch at 12:01 pm IST from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre followed multiple delays. Shukla will conduct seven microgravity experiments, aiding India's Gaganyaan mission. This international mission, led by Peggy Whitson, includes crew members Sławosz Uznański and Tibor Kapu, with a toy swan named Joy as a zero-g indicator.
