On a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, Shubhanshu Shukla will become the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS). NASA said Thursday that the mission will launch “no earlier than spring 2025”. As a member of Axiom Mission 4, he is one of four private astronauts. The fourth commercial astronaut mission the corporation will send to the ISS will be piloted by him.

Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer and ISRO astronaut, will serve as the pilot of the Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, which will depart from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and go to the ISS no early than Spring 2025, the US space agency announced Thursday.

Tibor Kapu of Hungary and Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, both ESA (European Space Agency) project astronauts, are the two mission specialists.Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, expressed her excitement at the ongoing interest in and commitment to the private astronaut flights on the ISS.

“As NASA looks toward the future of low Earth orbit, private astronaut missions help pave the way and expand access to the unique microgravity environment,” according to the US space agency.

In April 2022, Axiom flight 1, the first private astronaut flight to the station, departed for a 17-day stay inside the orbiting laboratory. Whitson also oversaw the launch of Axiom Mission 2, the second commercial astronaut mission to the station, which carried four private astronauts for eight days in space in May 2023.

Who is Shubhanshu Shukla?
A notable pilot in the Indian Air Force is Shubhanshu Shukla. He is the youngest astronaut-designate, having been chosen at 39. He was personally chosen as one of the four astronauts for the historic Gaganyaan mission, the country’s first attempt at human spaceflight, which was organized by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

On October 10, 1985, Shukla was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. According to reports, Shubhanshu finished his higher studies at Lucknow’s City Montessori School. He received his degree from the National Defence Academy (NDA), which prepares upcoming Indian army, navy, and air force officers.

In June 2006, Shukla was commissioned into the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) jet wing, marking the beginning of his quest. He has 2,000 hours of flight experience in a variety of aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. He is a combat leader and seasoned test pilot.

When Shubhanshu joined the program in 2018–19, his path to becoming an astronaut officially began. According to Suchi Shukla, Shubhanshu Sharma’s sister, “He spent the entire period in Russia for training during the coronavirus pandemic.”

Axiom trip 3, the most recent private astronaut trip, launched in January 2024 and docked to the space station for 18 days.”Working with the talented and diverse Ax-4 crew has been a deeply rewarding experience,” Whitson stated.”

It is really amazing to see their unselfish devotion to broadening horizons and establishing chances for their countries in space exploration. Our mission is not only a scientific endeavor but also a demonstration of human inventiveness and teamwork, as each crew member contributes distinct abilities and viewpoints,” Whitson continued.

On Thursday, NASA announced that it and SpaceX are “working expeditiously” to safely return astronauts Butch Willmore and Sunita Williams, who are Indian-origin, who had been trapped in the ISS for 238 days.

NASA made this announcement after Elon Musk, the billionaire and founder of SpaceX, said that US President Donald Trump had ordered him to expedite Williams and Wilmore’s return.