Set to create history as the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla plans to perform yoga in space and serve some desi food to fellow astronauts. Shukla will pilot the Axiom-4 mission, set to be launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft “no earlier than spring 2025”.
Shukla, who will become only the second Indian to go to space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s journey in 1984, said he was excited to go into microgravity and experience spaceflight.
A Personal Mission to Connect with Bharatvaasis
“I also have a personal agenda of capturing my experiences on board the space station through pictures and videos so that I can share these with all the ‘Bharatvaasis’ back home,” Shukla said in an online press conference organised by NASA.
“I want them to share this thrilling experience through my eyes. Even as an individual travelling to space, this is the journey of 1.4 billion people,” he further added.
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A Global Crew with an Indian Touch
The three-member crew for the mission, a joint effort by NASA and ISRO, will be led by Peggy Whitson. Shukla will be accompanied by Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
The Lucknow-born Shukla said he planned to take unique items from different parts of India with him to the space station. Shukla, who will also be on India’s own human spaceflight Gaganyaan, said he planned to do some yoga poses after docking.
Bringing Indian Culture to Space
“ISRO has come up with a unique idea. India is a big country with different regions with its own cultures. ISRO consulted a university where students were asked to come up with these ideas from each and every region,” Shukla, who was commissioned into the IAF in 2006, said.
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Being billed as an effort towards expanding private astronaut access to low-Earth orbit, the 14-day mission will see astronauts conduct experiments on deep space exploration.
India’s Space Aspirations and Future Missions
As India cements its position in space exploration, this mission marks another milestone in collaboration between ISRO and global space agencies. With ambitious programs like Gaganyaan on the horizon, the journey of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla symbolizes India’s growing influence in human spaceflight and research.
