A look at Indian astronaut Subhanshu Shukla's love story with his dentist wife. His educational qualifications and family background

Economic Times

4 hours ago

Subhanshu Shukla and his dentist wife Kamna
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His educational qualifications, career and family background
'Tricolour with me, let's begin India's Human Space Journey together': Shubhanshu Shukla from Orbit
Axiom4Mission pilot, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, delivered an emotional message from space, celebrating India's return to orbit after 41 years. Saluting the nation with the Tiranga on his shoulder, he called on every Indian to take pride and join the journey toward India's Human Space Programme.
President on Subhanshu Shukla creating a milestone
While the Axiom Mission 4 etched history by launching Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station on Wednesday, it's not just the nation celebrating his journey—his wife Kamna, who's known him since childhood, stands as his biggest source of strength. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 12:01 PM IST, marking the first time an Indian astronaut has embarked on a mission to the ISS in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX. Coordinated by Axiom Space, the crewed Dragon spacecraft is expected to dock with the station on Thursday around 4:30 PM IST.Just hours before liftoff, Shukla penned an emotional note for his wife, expressing his gratitude and calling her an irreplaceable part of his journey. Kamna responded with love and pride. Amid this, let's take a look at their love story.The couple's story goes back decades—they first met in primary school in Lucknow and have been friends ever since. Kamna, speaking to the Times of India ahead of the launch, recalled knowing Shubhanshu as the quiet boy in class who would grow up to become a national inspiration.Their relationship has weathered the challenges of distance, missed moments, and an unconventional life of high-stakes service. Kamna shared how deeply it pained him to miss out on key moments of their son's early childhood, but added that his focus has always been unwavering. She likened his determination to that of Arjuna from the Mahabharata, single-minded and precise.At home, Shukla is known as a disciplined man with a quiet spirit. A lover of non-fiction, fitness, and father-son mischief, he lives with resilience and an innate focus on problem-solving. Kamna described his fearless leap from fighter jets to space capsules as a complete transformation, but one that defines his never-give-up attitude. For her, it's not just about his place among the stars—it's about the man who quotes Dory from Finding Nemo and lives by her motto of 'keep swimming', no matter how challenging the situation is.Shubhanshu Shukla's journey began in the classrooms of City Montessori School (CMS), Aliganj Campus, in Lucknow. But the turning point came in 1998, during the Kargil conflict , which ignited in him a deep desire to serve the nation. Driven by determination and without informing his family, he quietly applied for the UPSC National Defence Academy (NDA) examination and cleared it. He went on to graduate from NDA in 2005 with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, followed by flight training at the Indian Air Force Academy. In 2006, he was officially commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force.Shukla also holds a Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the prestigious Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.Over the years, Shukla has carved out a distinguished career as both a combat pilot and a test pilot in the Indian Air Force. With nearly 2,000 hours of flying experience, his record spans a wide array of aircraft. His precision, discipline, and technical expertise led to his selection in 2019 as one of four astronaut-designates for India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission . He has since undergone rigorous astronaut training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia, as well as India's Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru.President Droupadi Murmu took to X to express pride and excitement over Indian astronaut Subhanshu Shukla 's participation in the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station. She highlighted the significance of the scientific experiments planned by the crew and praised the international collaboration, calling it a reflection of global unity as Shukla joins astronauts from the US, Poland, and Hungary.Meanwhile, the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked with the International Space Station on Thursday as part of the private Axiom-4 mission. This marks a historic return to human spaceflight for all three nations after decades. NASA confirmed the docking occurred at 6:31 a.m. Eastern Time.