Forty-one years after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma made history in 1984, the second Indian has successfully taken off to space.

After a launch marred by several delays, Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) lifted off on Wednesday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The Crew Dragon capsule carried a team of four astronauts, including India’s Shubhanshu Shukla.

The 39-year-old fighter pilot was selected by ISRO for this historic journey to the International Space Station. In about 26 hours, the spacecraft is expected to dock at the ISS, making Shukla the first-ever Indian to visit the orbiting laboratory.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is now in orbit and is scheduled to dock with the ISS at approximately 7:00 a.m. ET on June 26, connecting to the space-facing port of the Harmony module, Axiom Space said in a statement.

“Congratulations Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla. You are the first Indian astronaut to embark on a mission to the International Space Station. Indeed a proud moment for India!,” Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, said in a post on X after the successful lift-off.

Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, is commanding the commercial mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is serving as the pilot.

Crew to run 60 ISS experiments

Ax-4 crew members Tibor Kapu, Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański, Shubhanshu Shukla during underwater training.

Ax-4 crew members Tibor Kapu, Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański, Shubhanshu Shukla during underwater training.

The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) astronaut Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

During their planned 14-day mission, the Ax-4 crew will live and work aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting around 60 different research activities representing 31 countries. The studies will contribute to human research, Earth observation, and life, biological, and material sciences—showcasing each country’s space research initiatives. This mission also aims to foster industrial advancement and technological innovation beyond Earth.

Shubhanshu Shukla from space: Jai Hind!

#Axiom4Mission pilot, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla says, “Namaskar, my dear countrymen! What a ride! We are back in the space once again after 41 years. It’s an amazing ride. We are revolving around the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometres per second. The Tiranga embossed on my shoulders tells me that I am with all of you. This journey of mine is not a beginning to the International Space Station (ISS) but to India’s Human Space Programme. I want all of you to be part of this journey. Your chest, too, should swell with pride...Together, let’s initiate India’s Human Space Programme. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!”

Gaganyaan dream one step closer, says ISpA director general

Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (retd.), Director General, Indian Space Association (ISpA) said in a statement that the journey is “a testament to the growing global footprint of India in space exploration and is a stepping stone to what we want to achieve with Gaganyaan, our own indigenous human spaceflight program.”

“India is now in the final stages of preparation for the Gaganyaan mission, with firms like Larsen & Toubro, Tata and Ananth Technologies playing a critical role alongside our vibrant startups. If all goes as planned, we are just one or two years away from realizing the dream of sending Indian astronauts to space on an entirely indigenous platform.”

Published on June 25, 2025