On June 26 2025, the SpaceX Dragon capsule docked with the International Space Station (ISS), and Shubhanshu Shukla made history by becoming the first Indian to step into the orbiting laboratory and the second Indian national to reach space, since Rakesh Sharma in 1984. Ahead of his arrival, Shukla sent out a message in which he said, "The Tiranga (Tricolour) embossed on my shoulders tells me that I am with all of you…Together, let's initiate India's Human Space Programme. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat.” After multiple delays, the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission was finally launched on 25 June at 2:31 a.m. Eastern Time (12:01 p.m. IST). The mission consisted of a government-sponsored crew and was launched by Axiom Space in partnership with SpaceX and NASA. India has paid around $70 million to commercial space company Axiom for a seat in the space mission to the ISS. Joining Shukla were American veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, Polish engineer Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Hungarian researcher Tibor Kapu. This is the first time that astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary have travelled to the ISS. Shubhanshu Shukla / Source: X / SpaceX The two-week-long mission aims to conduct approximately 60 experiments on behalf of 31 countries, including the astronauts’ home countries as well as Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria and so on. The experiments range from studying the effects of microgravity on diabetes and muscle atrophy to microgravity farming of fenugreek and green gram, and exploring cyanobacteria for potential life-support systems. This mission marks a huge win for India, as it allows the country to contribute towards advanced research and innovation, further strengthening its position in the international space exploration arena. Shuhanshu Shukla’s participation marks a moment of renewed confidence in India’s space ambitions, as India plans to launch Gaganyaan in two years. This will be its first manned mission, making it the fourth country in the world to achieve this feat. Shukla was announced to be among the four astronauts selected to man the Gaganyaan mission by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 February 2024 at ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. He began his journey towards space exploration in 2019 when he was selected as an astronaut by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), which is a part of the Indian Air Force's Human Spaceflight Programme. IAM and ISRO eventually shortlisted him for the final four. “This is not the beginning of my flight. This is the beginning of India’s human spaceflight efforts. I am with you all. You can be part of this journey, feel the energy, and share in this mission.” Since 2022, India and the USA have actively worked towards building both economic and technological cooperation through a collaborative framework, namely, the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). Under iCET, the two countries have discussed the possibility of joint manned spaceflights. Shukla has further helped to prove that this possibility can be turned into reality soon. This mission also provides India with direct information and hands-on experience on modern, crewed spaceflights; this includes knowledge of docking operations, life-support systems and real-time mission operations aboard the ISS. Detailed insights into the functioning of the ISS will also help the development of the Bharatiya Antariksha Station (BAS), India’s planned indigenous space station, which is set to launch in the 2030s. Furthermore, as noted by the Republic, by collaborating with Polish and Hungarian astronauts aboard a US-operated spaceflight, Shubhanshu Shukla represents India as a bridging force between the Western Alliances and the Global South. Thus, this launch is not only a scientific breakthrough for Indian space exploration, but also a socio-political and economic opportunity for India to prove its standing in a competitive global space landscape. As Gaganyaan approaches and India is inching towards building its own space station, India's space footprint is laying the groundwork with each mission.
— Shubhanshu Shukla, ten minutes after launch, as the capsule entered orbit.
28 Jun 2025
Keya Waghmare
