Summary
- Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become the second Indian to reach space, flying to the ISS aboard the Axiom-4 mission on June 8.
- His mission symbolizes a new phase in India’s space journey and public-sector astronaut training under the Gaganyaan program.
- Fellow Gaganyaan astronaut-designate Angad Pratap says Shukla’s journey carries the aspirations of millions and marks a new era for common-man spaceflight in India.
From Air Base to Orbit: A Nation’s Leap Begins with One Flight
India’s return to human spaceflight is no longer a faraway dream. Four decades after Rakesh Sharma etched his name into space history aboard a Soviet Soyuz capsule, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is now poised to take India back to the stars—this time, not as a passenger on a foreign mission, but as a trained asset of India’s Gaganyaan program. Scheduled for liftoff on June 8 aboard the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), Shukla’s journey represents more than a singular milestone: it is the first visible ripple in India’s long-delayed human space ambitions.
This mission is significant not just for its symbolism but for what it inaugurates. Shukla is one of four Indian Air Force pilots rigorously trained under ISRO’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, but this voyage will be through a commercial international partnership with Axiom Space and SpaceX. While the Gaganyaan mission itself remains grounded in planning and testing, Shukla’s seat aboard the Falcon 9-powered Crew Dragon vehicle will function as a live rehearsal for India’s place in the future of orbital exploration.
But there’s another layer to this moment—the deeply human story of camaraderie and shared training. Fellow astronaut-designate Angad Pratap, also one of the Gaganyaan four, has spoken movingly about what this journey means to their cohort and to the millions of nameless dreamers watching from below.
🚨 India's Shubhanshu Shukla is poised to make history as the second Indian in space, launching on Axiom Space's Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station on June 8. pic.twitter.com/Vdid639lME
— Indian Tech & Infra (@IndianTechGuide) June 1, 2025
One Astronaut, a Nation’s Dreams
- Shukla’s mission is part of Axiom-4, a multinational flight to the ISS on June 8.
- Fellow Gaganyaan astronaut Angad Pratap says the flight carries the “aspirations of many faceless Indians.”
- The Gaganyaan crew’s training emphasized team-based growth and lateral learning.
- Pratap underscores that the selection is not rejection: “We are all sons of the soil.”
Group Captain Angad Pratap has perhaps framed it best: “It is not Shukla alone who gets to fly into space. These are those faceless people whose aspirations are going to fly along with him.” His words pierce through the shiny surface of mission patches and countdown clocks, reminding us that this is not a solo act of glory. Each breath Shukla takes aboard the ISS is shared with the country’s 1.4 billion citizens—especially those who’ve dared to dream beyond Earth.
The Gaganyaan program itself—India’s indigenous human spaceflight project—has faced delays, but the four astronauts selected for it have endured years of intense training, developing a uniquely collaborative bond. Pratap shared how much of their learning came not just from instructors but from each other, developing strengths, absorbing lessons, and preparing mentally for a life-threatening job few can truly understand.
While Pratap admits that missing out on the Axiom mission stung a little, he views rejection as a necessary trait of the astronaut’s character: resilience, focus, and an unwavering ability to look forward. “Even for the Gaganyaan mission, it doesn’t matter who flies. We all carry the same training and purpose,” he said.
A Test Flight for Public-Sector Space Aspirations
- Shukla’s participation signals India’s growing partnership in commercial spaceflight ecosystems.
- Axiom-4 will be powered by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and the Crew Dragon capsule—well-tested by NASA.
- ISRO’s Gaganyaan still plans a crewed mission in 2025.
- The Axiom mission could pave the way for broader astronaut access beyond military pilots.
The mission also subtly alters the landscape of India’s relationship with global space entities. Unlike Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 flight aboard a Soviet rocket—more diplomatic than developmental—this one marks India’s entry into a new cooperative-commercial paradigm. Axiom Space, with its goal of building the first private space station, has positioned itself as a springboard for international astronauts. By embedding Shukla in this mission, India signals that it is ready to operate in this new multipolar, commercially enabled space ecosystem.
Equally important is the precedent this sets for expanding India’s own astronaut corps. Until now, every Indian astronaut has emerged from the Air Force, but as ISRO and partners like Axiom create deeper linkages, the door may slowly open for trained civilians, scientists, and even tourists, aligning with the global vision of democratizing space access.
Angad Pratap notes this himself, saying that the goal is to ensure “spaceflight experience should be available to an average person.” While that might still be a decade away, this mission takes India one solid step toward that future.
Falcon, Faith, and the Future
- The Axiom-4 launch vehicle and capsule—Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon—are trusted platforms.
- Pratap voiced “unquestionable confidence” in their safety and performance.
- Shukla’s mission will serve as a precursor to India’s first indigenous crewed launch.
- The symbolism of this flight is expected to reinvigorate domestic excitement around space.
Trust in technology is the cornerstone of astronautics, and Group Captain Shukla’s mission benefits from flying aboard what is arguably the most reliable crewed launch system currently available. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule have proven their mettle time and again with NASA crews. Pratap put it succinctly: “The kind of levels of safety and reliability that they must have checked is unquestionably complete.”
In India, where space exploration has largely remained the purview of remote satellites and interplanetary probes, this mission reintroduces human presence into public imagination. It’s a test—not just of Shukla’s courage or SpaceX’s hardware—but of India’s readiness to trust its own spacefaring future.
This flight may not carry the Gaganyaan patch, but it certainly carries its spirit.
Beyond the Capsule Window
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s upcoming spaceflight isn’t merely a ride to low-Earth orbit—it’s a relay baton passed from history to the future. It picks up where Rakesh Sharma left off and signals that India’s human space journey is finally reawakening after a long sleep. With the silent thrust of Falcon 9, Indian ambition will pierce the vacuum of space once again.
But what makes this moment unforgettable is that it doesn’t rest on jingoism or celebrity. It rests on teamwork, shared growth, and the knowledge that someone else’s victory is a nation’s shared milestone. Whether it’s Shukla, Pratap, or any of the other two astronaut-designates aboard Gaganyaan next year, this mission reminds us that in space, as on Earth, the most powerful fuel isn’t hydrogen or methane—it’s aspiration.
