New Delhi– The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday extended its best wishes to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as he prepares for liftoff aboard Axiom Space Mission 4, urging him to “touch the sky with glory.” Shukla is set to become the first Indian to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS) and only the second Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma’s historic 1984 mission to Soviet space station Salyut 7.
Shukla will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 11 at 8:00 a.m. ET (5:30 p.m. IST). Originally slated for May 29, the mission was postponed twice and is now ready for takeoff.
“As Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla prepares to embark on the Axiom-4 space mission tomorrow, the Chief of the Air Staff and all Air Warriors of the IAF wish him and the entire crew of Axiom-4 the best for a safe and successful journey to the International Space Station,” the IAF’s Media Coordination Centre posted on X (formerly Twitter). “This will add a new chapter to the Indian space odyssey. Touch the sky with glory!”
Shukla will serve as the mission pilot under the command of veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. Also joining the mission are Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, both participating as mission specialists.
Air Vice Marshal Sanjay Bhatnagar (Retd) praised Shukla’s achievement, calling him “an inspiration” and highlighting his key role as the youngest astronaut-designate in India’s upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight program.
“Highly inspiring story of IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Mission Pilot for Axiom-4,” Bhatnagar wrote on X.
Back home, Shukla’s family expressed immense pride. “We are definitely feeling proud. Our son has done something that brings pride to the entire nation,” his mother told IANS from Lucknow. His hometown is also celebrating the moment with posters, banners, car stickers, and cutouts honoring the astronaut.
“From the land of Lord Shri Ram to space! Heartiest congratulations to Uttar Pradesh’s son, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla,” said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a post on X. “He is about to create history—carrying the dreams of India into space. This is a proud moment for every Indian and every family in Uttar Pradesh.”
While aboard the ISS, Shukla will conduct a series of pioneering experiments focused on space nutrition, human physiology, and cognitive responses in microgravity. These studies—jointly developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), and supported by NASA—aim to advance life-support systems and nutrition technologies for long-duration space travel.
According to Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh, the mission will also explore “the cognitive impact of continuous electronic displays in microgravity, as well as physical and physiological responses in space.”
With this mission, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is poised to carve his name in India’s space history—and inspire a new generation of explorers. (Source: IANS)
