Shubhanshu Shukla 'Will Literally Touch New Heights': Family Rejoices Selection For ISS Mission

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of Lucknow has been selected as India's primary astronaut for an upcoming mission to the International Space Station.

The family of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla in Lucknow, the capital city of UP, is beaming with pride as they receive numerous congratulations on his selection for an upcoming Indo-US mission to the International Space Station (ISS). His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, a retired government officer, expressed pride in the achievement of Shubhanshu and stated that the family is not nervous about the expedition. His mother, Asha Shukla, described Shubhanshu, their youngest child, as "cool-minded" who handles situations calmly.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced Group Captains Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair for the mission to the ISS on Friday. Shubhanshu was named as the primary astronaut and Nair as his backup. This recommendation came from NASA-identified service provider Axiom Space Inc., sources in the ISRO told news agency PTI.

The announcement led to celebrations at the Shukla family's home in the Triveni Nagar area of Lucknow. "We are very happy and feel proud of his achievements. We are praying to God that the mission becomes successful, which we are confident about. People of the country are also showering their blessings," Shambhu said, as quoted by PTI.

He mentioned that he spoke with Shubhanshu after learning about his selection and noted that Shubhanshu had no particular inclination towards space during childhood.

Shambhu shared that he had hoped his son would pursue a career in civil services or medicine, but destiny led Shubhanshu to the Air Force, ISRO, and now the space mission. "Neither me nor my son or anyone in the family is nervous about the mission. We don't get into negative thoughts, we do our prayers and leave the rest to the Almighty. We believe whatever He does is the right thing," He said.

"Guardians are always happy when a child succeeds and in this case, he is going to such great heights that we never imagined," he added.

Shubhanshu To Join Axiom 4 Mission To ISS

Asha Shukla said the family is extremely happy about his achievements, recalling that he informed them about the mission 3-4 days ago. She described Shubhanshu as a brilliant student and individual with a calm temperament who handles situations smoothly.

The phones of the family have been constantly buzzing with calls from well-wishers ever since the news came to light. Celebrations also took place at Shubhanshu's alma mater, City Montessori School, in Lucknow. "Shubhanshu studied in CMS Aliganj Campus I, Lucknow, from age 3 to 18 before joining the NDA and later the Indian Air Force," the school wrote in a post on Facebook.

"Shubhanshu will join the Axiom 4 mission to the ISS, collaborating with NASA and ISRO, and working alongside astronaut Peggy Whitson. This mission will mark a significant milestone in space-flight cooperation between ISRO and NASA. Earlier Shubhanshu was chosen to man ISRO's first human-manned space mission Gaganyaan. Shubhanshu is a distinguished fighter pilot with over 2,000 flying hours," it said.

"Congratulations, Shubhanshu! We are all incredibly proud of you," the school added.

His sister Suchi Shukla stated, "He has given us another opportunity to feel proud. It feels wonderful that he will literally touch new heights in a few days to come."