Who Is Shubhanshu Shukla, The First Indian Astronaut To Travel To The International Space Station?

India is poised to make a historic return to space after a gap of 41 years, as ISRO astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla prepares to pilot the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) tomorrow. Back in his hometown, Shukla’s family is praying for a successful journey. His mission will mark him as the second Indian to fly into space since Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission—and notably, the first Indian to ever visit the ISS. During launch and docking, Shukla will assist in spacecraft operations. Shukla will lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida alongside three other astronauts. The crew is expected to dock with the ISS approximately 28 hours after launch. Over the 14-day mission, the team will carry out more than 60 scientific experiments. The Axiom-4 mission is a collaborative effort between Axiom Space, NASA, ISRO, and the European Space Agency.