25 June 2025 is a historic day for India. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has gone on a trip to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Indian Air Force experienced pilot, Axiom Mission-4 (AX-4). This is India’s second Rakesh Sharma moment, which is not only scientific achievement, but also a symbol of space dreams of 1.4 billion Indians. This mission brings India to the center in the global space alliance.
Axiom-4: A new space age
The Axiom Mission-4, in association with NASA and SpaceX, is the fourth private space mission organized by Space. Its goal is to create a permanent commercial appearance in low earth orbit. This mission is special for India, because Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first Indian to live and work on ISS.
Special coverage of the mission see here
The mission was launched on 25 June 2025 with the launch pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with Falcon 9 rocket and new crew dragon C213 spacecraft. It will take 28 hours to reach ISS, including class adjustment and safety checks. The team of four members will be on ISS for 14 days, where they will do more than 60 scientific experiments.
Shubhanshu Shukla: India’s new star
Shubhanshu Shukla is the second astronaut of India, who went to space after Rakesh Sharma in 1984. He is a pilot of AX-4 and will represent India on ISS. He is with him … Pegi Whitson- Mission Commander, former NASA astronaut, Slavosh Uznansky-Visnivski- Poland’s first ISS astronaut and Tibor Kapu-Hungary’s first astronaut (after the Soviet era).
Also read: Why will Shubhanshu take 28 hours to reach the station 450 km away? Understand the full route of space travel
This four -nation team is a symbol of global cooperation in space. This shows that private companies such as ex -acom are now giving new countries a chance in space. Shubhanshu will do many important work on ISS. He will use more than 60, such as growing moong and fenugreek in space. Study of the effects of microgravity on the human body. Research on material science and artificial intelligence.
Shubhanshu will do yoga and take Indian sweets and a toy Hans (“Joy”), which will be a symbol of mission by swimming in zero gravity. He will talk live with Indian students, who will increase interest in science and technology.
Gaganyaan and India’s Space Dream
India’s Gaganyaan program, which was approved in 2019, will send the Indian astronaut into space in 2026 with indigenous rocket. But there are many challenges in it …
- Design of human capsule.
- Environmental control and life support system.
- Limited budget and technical expertise.
In view of these challenges, in 2023, India proposed international cooperation for the ISS mission. After an agreement with the US in 2024, the agreement was signed with the Axiaom Space. This will give India advanced technology and experience of human space flight, which will speed up the Gaganyaan Mission.
Also read: Second ‘Rakesh Sharma Moment’ for India! Shubhanshu Shukla left for space station, 41 years later …
Choosing and training of Shubhanshu
After the Indo-US Agreement in 2024, ISRO tied up with Axiom. After a tough evaluation, a national team chose Shubhanshu Shukla as the main astronaut and the procession Balakrishnan Nair as backup. Both of them trained at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonot Training Center and other places.
Future of commercial space flight
The Ex-4 mission shows that space exploration is no longer limited to governments. Private companies such as ex -iom and SpaceX are making it cheaper and accessible. ISS has been the center of human presence in space for 24 years, which is the basis for developing an economy in low earth orbit. NASA is now focusing on Moon and Mars missions, while ISS is the center of training and research.
India’s space future
Axiom-4 is a beginning for India. India’s big goals are …
- Gaganyaan: Indigenous Human Mission in 2026.
- Indian Space Station (BAS): Your Space Station by 2035.
- Moon Mission: Human Moon Mission until 2040.
The mission of Shubhanshu will lay the foundation of these dreams. It brings India into the category of leading countries in space. Shubhanshu Shukla shone India on the global space stage with Axiom Mission-4. This launch of 25 June 2025 is a historic moment for India. This mission is not only a symbol of scientific progress, but also makes India’s space dreams come true. This journey of Shubhanshu is a big step towards Gaganyaan, Indian Space Station and Moon Mission.
(Dr. S. Somnath served as Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) from January 2022 to January 2025. As an experienced aerospace engineer, he played an important role in India’s projection vehicle development and space missions.)