It’s not just another space mission. When Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla boards the Crew Dragon capsule as part of the Axiom-4 crew, he won’t just be lifting off from Kennedy Space Center—he’ll be lifting India back into human spaceflight, 41 years after Rakesh Sharma’s historic 1984 mission.
The mission comes after a short weather-related delay, and Shukla’s final words to the press were reflective: “This is not just my journey; this is the journey of 1.4 billion Indians. Even if this story can change one life or inspire one young person, it will be a success”
From Lucknow to Low-Earth Orbit: Education, Training & Legacy
Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Shubhanshu Shukla’s story begins far from Cape Canaveral. Educated at City Montessori School, his brilliance and discipline led him to the National Defence Academy. Commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2006, Shukla went on to complete an M.Tech in Aerospace Engineering from IISc Bengaluru—laying the technical foundation for his spaceflight trajectory.
His family has been in the spotlight too. Speaking from their Lucknow home, his father, retired Indian Forest Service officer Harish Chandra Shukla, called it “a big achievement for the country.” His mother added, “We’re very happy and proud,” while his sister Neha reflected on his perseverance through “grueling training in Russia and India” over many years. In 2019, Shukla was shortlisted as one of four IAF pilots for ISRO’s Gaganyaan programme. He underwent intense training at Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre and at ISRO’s astronaut facility in Bengaluru. Among his batchmates, Shukla stood out for his composure, work ethic, and ability to handle high-pressure simulation scenarios.
Over nearly two decades in uniform, Shukla has clocked over 2,000 hours on an extensive list of Indian military aircraft. His flying log includes the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier 228, and the An-32. As a test pilot, he’s helped validate combat systems and trained younger squadrons—an experience that now feeds directly into Ax-4’s scientific goals. He is known among peers for his technical rigour and situational calm—traits vital to any space mission. His call sign, “Shux,” is well-known in IAF circles.
Outside of his professional life, Shukla is married to Dr. Kamna, a practising dentist and his former schoolmate. The couple has a young son. He is the youngest of three siblings: his sister Nidhi holds an MBA, while his other sister Suchi is a schoolteacher. His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, is a retired government official, and his mother Asha is a homemaker. Shukla’s interests include physical fitness, science writing, and more recently, an ironic fascination with horoscopes despite being agnostic. He’s also an amateur astrophotographer, often spending quiet nights capturing the cosmos that he now prepares to explore firsthand.
Inside Axiom Mission 4: Experiments and Objectives
The Axiom-4 mission will take off aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon from Kennedy Space Center. Alongside Shukla are Commander Peggy Whitson (U.S.), Slawosz Uznański (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary). Over a 14–21 day stay on the ISS, the crew will conduct 60+ experiments spanning biotechnology, Earth sciences, and aerospace medicine.
Shukla’s contributions include Indian-designed food and nutrition experiments, particularly on the growth and molecular response of microalgae in microgravity—a promising area for sustainable space nutrition . These tests are a joint effort by ISRO, the Department of Biotechnology, and NASA, and they feed directly into India’s long-term spaceflight ambitions, especially the 2027 Gaganyaan mission.
