Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla Chosen As Prime Mission Pilot For ISRO-NASA Mission To International Space Station

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is chosen as the prime Mission Pilot for Axiom-4, an Indian-American space mission to the International Space Station. Shukla and his backup will commence their training in the first week of August 2024.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has been selected as the prime Mission Pilot for the upcoming Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS).  The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Friday that its Human Space Flight Centre has entered into a space flight agreement with Axiom Space Inc, USA for the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS. 

"The assigned crewmembers will be finally approved to fly to the International Space Station by the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP). The recommended gaganyatris will commence their training for the mission from the first week of August 2024," ISRO said in a statement.

During the mission, the gaganyatris will undertake selected scientific research and technology demonstration experiments on board the ISS as well as engage in space outreach activities. "The experiences gained during this mission will be beneficial for the Indian Human Space Programme and it will also strengthen human space flight cooperation between ISRO and NASA," the space agency added.

The collaboration follows a joint statement issued by ISRO and NASA in June 2023, during the official state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the USA, which envisioned a joint ISRO-NASA mission to the ISS.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, is an alumnus of the NDA. Commissioned in the fighter stream of the IAF on June 17, 2006, Shukla has about 2,000 hours of flight experience as a fighter combat leader and a test pilot. He has flown various aircraft, including the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Mikoyan MiG-29, SEPECAT Jaguar, BAE Systems Hawk, Dornier 228, and Antonov An-32.

Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, born on August 26, 1976, in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala, is also an alumnus of the NDA and the United States Staff College. He received the Sword of Honour from the Air Force Academy and obtained his engineering degree from NSS College in Palakkad. Commissioned in the fighter stream of the IAF on December 19, 1998, Nair has about 3,000 hours of flying experience. He is a Category A Flying Instructor and a test pilot, having flown aircraft such as the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Mikoyan MiG-29, BAE Systems Hawk, Dornier 228, and Antonov An-32.

Gaganyaan Programme

Earlier this year, on February 27, 2024, ISRO announced the four astronaut designates for its Gaganyaan Programme. These designates, all airmen from the Indian Air Force (IAF), are eligible to fly to low-Earth orbit as part of India's first human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Gaganyaan crew members and bestowed astronaut wings upon them at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

The four men chosen for India's first crewed space mission were Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, and Shubhanshu Shukla. Nair, Krishnan, and Pratap are group captains in the IAF, while Shukla is a wing commander.

They are expected to fly to an orbit of 400 kilometres in 2025, and live in low-Earth orbit for about three days. If the Gaganyaan mission is successful, India will become the fourth country in the world to send humans to space, after the Soviet Union, the United States, and China.

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore had announced that the astronaut designates are pursuing their Master of Technology at IISc, and are also undergoing training at ISRO. Some faculty members from IISc are serving as instructors for the astronauts' ground training programme.