Lucknow: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a native of Lucknow and officer in the Indian Air Force, will soon depart for the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA’s Axiom-4 mission. He becomes the second Indian to fly into space after Rakesh Sharma and the first to do so in over four decades. He has also been selected for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission.
Shukla’s early life and education took place in Lucknow. His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, expressed pride at his son’s achievement, stating that preparations for this mission began in 2019. “It’s a matter of honour for the country and state. He is fully prepared and confident,” he said, while thanking the Chief Minister and Prime Minister for their support.
Shukla’s mother, Asha Shukla, highlighted the role of her daughter-in-law, who supported him throughout. She added that the mission is especially emotional as they haven't met him since March last year.
She recalled that Shukla never had this dream in childhood, his selection into NDA, then Air Force, then as a test pilot and eventually astronaut happened gradually and swiftly.
Born on October 10, 1985, Shukla joined the IAF in June 2006 and became Group Captain in March 2024. He has over 2,000 flying hours on aircraft like Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. He received astronaut training in 2019 at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, Russia.
As part of the NASA Axiom collaboration, he will be the first ISRO astronaut to travel to the ISS. He plans to share videos and photos from space with the Indian public, highlighting his journey and life aboard the station.
