Wed Jun 25 13:19:28 UTC 2025: **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
**Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Makes History, Returns India to Space After 41 Years**
**Cape Canaveral, Florida – June 25, 2025** – Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a 39-year-old fighter pilot turned astronaut, has etched his name in history as the second Indian to travel to space and the first to reach the International Space Station (ISS). He launched aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, “Grace,” as part of the Axiom-4 commercial mission from NASA’s spaceport in Florida on Wednesday, June 25th, 2025.
“Kya kamaal ki ride thi (what an amazing ride),” Shukla exclaimed in Hindi shortly after reaching orbit, marking India’s return to human spaceflight after a 41-year gap since Rakesh Sharma’s mission in 1984. “Namaskar, my dear countrymen. What a ride! We have returned to space after a gap of 41 years and what an amazing ride it was.” He urged all Indians to be a part of India’s Human Space Programme.
The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock at the ISS at 4:30 p.m. IST on Thursday, June 26, 2025. The 14-day mission, supported by ISRO and NASA, will see Shukla conduct experiments, including those focused on India-centric food and nutrition, and participate in joint studies with NASA.
Shukla, a Lucknow native, was selected as part of India’s astronaut corps in 2019 for the Gaganyaan mission, India’s maiden human spaceflight, which is likely to be launched in 2027. His sister, Suchi Shukla, shared that Shubhanshu’s dream took root as a child attending an air show. The astronaut also carried a piece of home with him – gajar ka halwa and moong dal ka halwa – to share with his crewmates.
Fellow astronauts describe Shukla as “operationally-savvy,” “focused,” and “wicked smart.” He is a decorated Air Force pilot with over 2,000 hours of flying experience on various fighter jets.
His mission has ignited immense pride across India. Shubhanshu’s school, City Montessori School (CMS) in Lucknow, organized a public viewing party to celebrate his launch. His father, Shambhu Shukla, said that Shubhanshu had a great quality, “even if you go to him with 400 kilogram of stress, you would return considerably lighter.”
During the mission, the Ax-4 crew will interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, students, and space industry leaders. Shubhanshu will conduct experiments developed under a collaboration between ISRO and the Department of Biotechnology.
The entire nation celebrates this monumental achievement, marking a new chapter in India’s space exploration journey. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!
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