Shubhanshu Shukla Becomes First Indian to Set Foot on International Space Station
- tech360.tv
- Jun 27, 2025
- 2 min read
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has made history as the first Indian to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS), marking a major milestone in India's space journey.
Shukla, a pilot with the Indian Air Force, is part of the four-member Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission crew that docked with the ISS on Thursday. The mission launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:31 a.m. EDT on Wednesday.
The Ax-4 crew includes Commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The spacecraft docked with the ISS at 6:31 a.m. EDT on Thursday, increasing the station's total crew to 11.
The mission is a collaboration between NASA, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the European Space Agency (ESA), and SpaceX.
Shukla is only the second Indian to travel to space, following cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission aboard a Russian Soyuz.
ISRO paid INR 5 billion (USD 59 million) for Shukla’s seat and training on the Ax-4 mission. The agency said the experience will support India’s plans for future human spaceflights.
During their two-week stay, the Ax-4 crew will conduct 60 scientific experiments, including seven developed by ISRO.
India aims to launch its first human spaceflight in 2027, establish a space station by 2035, and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040.
In a live broadcast from space, Shukla described his first 24 hours in orbit as “an amazing feeling.” He said he was adjusting to life in zero gravity and learning to move, eat, and read in space.
A small white toy swan named Joy, described as the mission’s “zero-G [zero-gravity] indicator,” floated alongside the astronauts during the broadcast. Shukla said the swan symbolises wisdom and the ability to focus on what truly matters.
Commander Whitson revealed the name of their spacecraft as Grace, saying it represents the harmony of science and spirit and the goodwill behind space exploration.
Shubhanshu Shukla becomes first Indian to set foot on the ISS
Ax-4 mission launched from Florida and docked with ISS on Thursday
Crew includes astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary
Source: BBC
