Shubhanshu Shukla of Lucknow will fill the space flight, after Rakesh Sharma, another Indian, know the full story of AX-4 mission

Axiom Mission 4 Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla: With India’s increasing presence in space, a new chapter is going to be added. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force is going to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) under Axiom Mission 4 (AX-4). This mission will be a historical moment not only for Shubhanshu but also for the whole of India, which will strengthen the preparations for the country’s Gaganyaan Mission. He will be the second Indian to go to space after Rakesh Sharma in 1984. Let us know what is Mission AX-4 and how it is important for India, who will know who is Shubhanshu Shukla:
Who is Shubhanshu Shukla,

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla was born on 10 October 1985 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The 1999 Kargil War inspired him to join the Indian Army. He completed his early education in Lucknow and was selected for the National Defense Academy (NDA) at just 16 years old. After joining the Indian Air Force in 2006, he became an experienced Test pilot. He has flew over 2,000 hours on various aircraft like SU-30 MKI, MIG-21, MIG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier and AN-32. In 2019, ISRO selected him for the prestigious Gaganyaan Mission, under which he took extensive training at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonott Training Center and completed further training in Bengaluru. In March 2024, he was promoted to the post of Group Captain. Shubhanshu Shukla will now become the first Indian astronaut to go into space to step on the International Space Station (ISS).
What is Axiom mission 4 (AX-4)

AX-4, a private company called Axiom Space is the fourth space mission, which is being done in association with NASA and Spacex. The mission will go to the International Space Station (ISS), where the crew will last for 14 days. During this time he will participate in various scientific experiments, technical performances and public awareness programs. The mission will add a new chapter to the space trip to countries like India, Poland and Hungary, as it will be the first government-containing space trip to all these countries after more than 40 years.
These are AX-Main things of 4 missions:
, Launch date: 8 June 2025, IST at 6:41 pm
, Launch Location: NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, United States
, Spacecraft: Spacex’s dragon spacecraft, which will be launched by Falcon 9 rocket.
, Duration: Will remain on ISS for 14 days.
, Cost: India has spent about Rs 548 crore for this mission.
, Why is it important for India: Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first Indian to go into space after 1984.
, Importance: The mission will provide invaluable experience for India’s Gaganyaan Mission, which will be India’s first indigenous human space mission in 2026. This will promote global cooperation and display India’s growing capabilities in space exploration.
AX-4 Who is going to the mission,

Along with Shubhanshu Shukla, an international party will be involved in the AX-4 mission:
, Pegi Whitson (Commander): Former NASA astronaut and Acmiom Space’s Human Spacecraft Flight Director. He is the most experienced astronaut of America, who has a space experience of over 675 days.
, Slavos Uznanski (Mission Specialist): From Poland, who are astronauts of ESA. This will be Poland’s first human space trip since 1978.
, Tibor Kapu (Mission Specialist): From Hungary, who represent the Hungarian Space Office. This will be the first space journey after Hungary’s collapse of the Soviet Union.
This crew will use more than 60 scientific experiments on ISS, including checking cognitive and visual effects of computer screen in space, exploration of bone muscle dysfunction in micro gravity, and study of germination and development of various crop seed varieties in space.
How will the path be ahead

Shubhanshu Shukla’s AX-4 mission is not just a space trip, but is a flight of India’s space dreams. This mission will provide significant experience for the country’s Gaganyaan program and help to achieve India’s goal of creating an independent Indian space station in the future. This achievement of Shubhanshu is a source of inspiration for every Indian and it shows that anything is possible with determination and hard work. India’s new move in space will definitely further strengthen its position in the global space community.