India’s Shubhanshu Shukla to fly to International Space Station in May

Announcing the development, Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Space and Atomic Energy, said the mission signals a ‘defining chapter in India’s space journey’.

“The International space mission carrying an Indian astronaut is scheduled for next month. India is poised to script a defining chapter in its space journey. An Indian astronaut is set for a historic space mission as ISRO charts bold new frontiers. India’s space dreams are soaring higher with Gaganyaan preparations, ISS mission, and a summer of launches.”

Who is Shubhanshu Shukla?

Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Shukla studied at the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune. He joined the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter wing in June 2006 and was promoted to Group Captain in March 2024.

With over 2,000 hours of flight experience, Shukla has flown various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.

In 2019, ISRO selected him for astronaut training. He then trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow. In February 2024, he was chosen as the prime astronaut for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission, India’s first human spaceflight programme, planned for 2026.

At an earlier online press conference, Shukla expressed his excitement and the importance of this mission for India. “Our endeavour is to execute this mission with utmost professionalism. I also hope to ignite the curiosity of an entire generation in my country through my mission and drive the innovation that would make many such missions possible in the future,” he said.

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