India’s newest space hero, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, has said he is eager to channel the lessons from his recent Axiom-4 space mission into India’s ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight project, set for 2027.
Shukla, 39, became the second Indian in history to travel to space — and the first to visit the International Space Station (ISS) — following Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 flight.
Speaking at his first public interaction since returning to Earth, Shukla described his 21-day mission — which included 18 days aboard the ISS — as “only the beginning” of India’s new human spaceflight era.
“This time, we are ready to lead, not just fly,” Shukla said. “The learnings and knowledge are going to prove invaluable for our Gaganyaan mission.”
Mission Highlights
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Launch Date: June 25, 2025
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Spacecraft: Dragon Grace
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Crew: Commander Peggy Whitson (USA), Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (India), Mission Specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (Poland) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary)
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Significance: First human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary in 40 years
Life in Space
Shukla said it took only a few days to adapt to microgravity, joking:
“After a couple of days, it didn’t matter if we were next to the floor or the ceiling.”
He performed multiple experiments aboard the ISS, focusing on human physiology and microgravity effects, adding that “training prepared us, but space itself teaches you far more.”
Return and Recovery
Back on Earth, Shukla faced the challenge of re-adapting to gravity.
“It took 3-4 days of rehab to feel normal again,” he said. “I am ready for another mission already.”
Expressing gratitude to ISRO, the Indian Air Force, NASA, and SpaceX, Shukla called the mission a “moment of returning to space after 41 years” and a “launchpad for India’s second orbit in human spaceflight.”
