JOURNEY OF SHUBHANSHU SHUKLA : AN INDIAN DREAM COMES TRUE

       JOURNEY OF SHUBHANSHU SHUKLA : AN INDIAN DREAM COMES TRUE

Nikunja Bihari Sahu

       In a significant  space achievement, the Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla created history by flying to space as part of the Axiom 4 mission aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 spacecraft. After several previous reschedules   due to weather and technical problems, the rocket finally  cleared the  launch pad on 25th June 2025 at 12.01 PM IST and soared  to the sky carrying Shubhandhu and other crew members to space.  With this success, Shubhanshu  became the first Indian astronaut  to travel to the  International Space Station and the second  after Rakesh Sharma to be orbiting the Earth in space. It is worth noting that Rakesh Sharma travelled to space in 1984 as the first Indian astronaut on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and spent 8 days in  the Salyut-7 space station. Now, after a  long gap of 41  years of  Rakesh Sharma's journey, another Indian citizen travelled to space. Hence, a space voyage with an Indian  astronaut was long due for the country.

   Commanded by the US astronaut Peggy Whitson, with crew members from Poland and Hungary, the mission marked India’s re-entry into orbital spaceflight after 41 years of silence. During his 14-day stay in space, Shubhanshu will remain busy in conducting many  groundbreaking experiments in science and technology in the zero gravity conditions of space which were  designed by various scientific organizations of the country and abroad.

  The Axiom mission will serve as a significant launch pad for India's upcoming  space programmes. The mission will provide valuable real time experience in working in the International Space Station ecosystem, adapting to microgravity conditions of space, conducting complex scientific experiments in microgravity  and working within an  international space protocol system. This knowledge will prove to be immensely  beneficial in preparing India to launch its own astronauts to space  as a part of the Gaganyan programme  and its ambitious plan of launching  an indigenous  space station by 2028.

  Delving briefly into the life and journey of Subhanshu, he was born on October 10, 1985 in Lucknow and was the youngest  of the three children of his parents of a middle class family. Since childhood, he possessed  a deep interest for bravery and aspired for  a career in  the military field. Inspired by the valour of Indian soldiers in the 1999 Kargil War and India's glorious victory over the enemy, he studied at the National Defence Academy, Pune after clearing the Entrance examination. He came out with flying colours from the Academy  after  completing a  Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science   in 2005. He was then selected for the flying branch of the Indian Air Force  and underwent training at the Indian Air Force Academy, Dundigal. In June 2006, he was commissioned into the Fighter stream of the Indian Air Force as a Flying officer.

  During his career in the Indian Air Force, Shubhashu served as a Combat Leader and  Test pilot and flew  several  fighter aircrafts like  Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, An-39 where he clocked  2000 hours of valuable flight experience. Later, impressed by his flying skills, the Indian Air Force included him in the Indian Human Spaceflight programme spearheaded by ISRO. In 2020, he was sent to Russia for receiving  basic training related to space flight at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Moscow. After completing his training, he returned to India and further  received extensive training at the Astronaut Training facility  in Bengaluru. Later, he was promoted to the rank of a Wing Commander in the Indian Air Force. During this time, he completed a Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering from  the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. His name as a  member of India's manned Gaganyaan programme was first announced by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on February 27, 2024, 

    He continued his glorious journey as he got selected as the Pilot of  the Axiom  mission, (a joint effort of NASA, SpaceX, and ISRO)  to fly to the International Space Station on SpaceX's Falcon 9 vehicle. For this, he received rigorous training  at NASA's Johnson Space Centre in USA. Shubhamshu was entrusted with the most crucial job of the mission of   piloting the spacecraft .

    Subhanshu's space journey would prove to be a source of inspiration for all  Indians.  As  an astronaut, he epitomizes India’s evolving presence in global space ventures,  from Gaganyaan to partnering with NASA and SpaceX. His mission isn’t just scientific, it’s emblematic of India’s renewed ascent in space exploration. He represents India’s hopes and aspiration for a global leadership position in space sector in this highly challenging world dominated by powers like China and Japan. His journey from a small  city like Lucknow to the low Earth orbit of the infinite cosmos  signifies how best a human endeavor can achieve under  the most difficult realities of life.   His  life and journey teaches us  that accomplishing  lofty goals  does not require  positions  or patronage, but  a  dream to cherish  and a will to achieve!

                                                                                                         Education Officer 

 Regional Science Centre

Bhopal