Meet Shubhanshu Shukla: NDA Cadet To Astronaut, First Indian To ISS, Sunita Williams' SpaceX Dragon

Sunita Williams returned to Earth after spending 286 days in space on March 19, 2025. The moment she and Butch Wilmore came out of the SpaceX Dragon capsule, NASA added another feather to their hat. However, when the whole world was going gaga over Sunita Williams' successful return to Earth, it was reported that SpaceX Dragon would carry an Indian to space. According to a report in Times Now News, SpaceX Dragon is going to take Indian astronaut, Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS).

Who is Shubhanshu Shukla? Indian astronaut set to become first Indian to travel to ISS in SpaceX Dragon, spacecraft that took Sunita Williams to space

It is a part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), and the mission is scheduled for this year's spring season. For the uninitiated, this is going to be a landmark mission in spaceflight because it is going to make Indian astronaut, Shubhanshu Shukla the first Indian to go on a private mission to the International Space Station. Talking about more details of the mission, Axiom-4 will launch from NASA's iconic Kennedy Space Center, which is situated in Florida.

It will be a 14-day mission, and astronauts and space personnel from different countries will join hands together for this one. Apart from Shubhanshu from India, the mission has Sawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Opening up about the crucial space mission, Ax-4, NASA's ISS Program Manager, Dana Weigel, talked about the relevance of private astronaut missions. She said:

"Private astronaut missions help pave the way and expand access to the unique microgravity environment."

Now that we have discussed the mission at length, let's talk about the man of the moment, Shubhanshu Shukla, who will become the second Indian to go into space after Rakesh Sharma. Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Shubhanshu Shukla completed his schooling at Aliganj's Montessori School. After schooling, Shubhanshu pursued a three-year B.Tech degree from National Defence Academy in 2005.

Along with this, Shubhanshu Shukla also completed Cadet Basic Training. As a result, in the following years, Shubhanshu joined the Indian Air Force Academy for the flying branch. After completing his course at AFA in 2006, he was commissioned as a flying officer at the Indian Air Force. 

Shubhanshu Shukla's journey from a fighter pilot at the Indian Air Force to becoming an astronaut

During his time at the Indian Air Force, Shubhanshu Shukla handled a lot of formidable jets, and by the year 2019, he had been promoted to the position of Wing Commander. Luckily, in the same year, the Indian space society was searching for astronauts under the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme. Due to Shubhanshu's impressive portfolio as a fighter pilot, he was selected from a pool of over a thousand candidates.

After his selection, Shubhanshu Shukla was sent to Russia for training in 2021, and upon his return to India, he started working at ISRO. It was in February 2024 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Shubhanshu Shukla's name along with three others as the four astronauts shortlisted for Ganganyaan. Fast forward to 2025, and he will now be the mission pilot for Axiom Mission 4. We hope Shubhanshu makes 1.4 billion Indians proud and has a safe launch and return in this historic mission.

What are your thoughts on Shubhanshu Shukla's journey from being a fighter pilot to becoming a successful astronaut? Let us know.

Also Read: Who Is Sunita Williams' Husband, Michael? US Federal Marshal, Couple's Love Story, India's Daughter

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