Shubhanshu Shukla created history, India returned to space after 41 years.

25 June 2025: Shubhanshu Shukla, captain of the Indian Air Force group, created a new history in space today. He became the first Indian to reach space after 41 years. Under the Axiaom-4 mission, Shubhanshu Shukla and three other international astronauts flew from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA today (Indian time) today (Indian time). This mission is a historic moment not only for India, but also for Poland and Hungary, as astronauts of these countries are also returning to space after 40 years. Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS) on 26 June tomorrow.

AXIOM-4 Mission, which is held in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, flew successfully today after several delays. The mission was launched through SpaceX's Falcon -9 rocket and dragon spacecraft. The commander of the mission is US experienced astronaut Paigi Whitson, while Shubhanshu Shukla is the pilot of this mission. He is accompanied by Slavos Uznansky of Poland and Tibor Kapu Mission in Hungary. This mission will complete 60 scientific experiments from 31 countries, of which seven are from India.

Born on 10 October 1985 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Shubhanshu Shukla is one of the four astronauts selected for the Gaganan Mission of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). He graduated from the National Defense Academy (NDA) and joined the Indian Air Force in 2006. Shukla, who has more than 2,000 flight hours experience, has blown aircraft such as Sukho -30, MiG -21, MiG -29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier and N -32. On his achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Shubhanshu is taking the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians in space."

28 hours journey, 14 days on ISS
The Dragon Spacecraft of the Axiom-4 mission will be connected after traveling for about 28-29 hours on June 26 at 4:30 pm (Indian time). Shubhunhu and his team will do scientific experiments by staying on ISS for the next 14 days. These include diabetes, nutrition and Indian foods such as fenugreek and moong dal. Shubhanshu said in his first message from space, "What was the greetings to my dear countrymen, what was the ride! After 40 years we are again in space."

There is an atmosphere of enthusiasm in Shubhanshu's hometown Lucknow. More than 2,000 students raised slogans of "Sukhanashu, Shubhanshu" in their school, City Montessori School (CMS). His mother Asha Shukla said, "We are not afraid, but are proud." The family shared emotional moments, making his wife Kamna for his success.
This mission is not only a personal achievement of Shubhanshu, but a new beginning of India's space program. This is an important step in the preparation of ISRO's skyron mission. Union Minister Jitendra Singh said, "Shubhanshu will do seven important experiments in this mission, which will lead India to lead in space research."

Shubhanshu and his team's 14 -day stay on ISS is not only important for scientific achievements, but it is an opportunity for countries such as India, Poland and Hungary to strengthen its presence in space. This mission is part of the target of Axiom Space that plans to launch its docking module for ISS by 2027.

This achievement of Shubhanshu Shukla is an inspiration not only for India, but also for the world's space research. As he said, "This is not the beginning of my journey, but the beginning of India's human space program."

Hail India!