From test pilot to astronaut: How Shubanshu Shukla becomes first Indian to travel to ISS

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IAF Group Captain Shubanshu Shukla, 39, is set to pilot the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on Wednesday (June 11) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of Nasa's Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). But how did Shukla go from flying aircraft to becoming an astronaut? read more
Shubhanshu Shukla was named the 'Prime' astronaut for the Indo-US mission to the International Space Station in August last year. Image: Axiom Space
Indian astronaut Shubanshu Shukla is set to create history on Wednesday (June 11).
Shukla, 39, is set to pilot the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of Nasa's Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Shukla, known as 'Shux' to his near and dear ones, will thus become the first Indian to travel to the ISS and just the second Indian to travel to space.
He will be joined by ex-Nasa astronaut Peggy Whitson, who is the mission commander, Tibor Kapu of Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland.
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But what do we know about Group Captain Shukla's journey from being a test pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to an astronaut?
Let's take a closer look
Early beginnings
Shukla was born on October 10, 1985.
Shukla's sister Suchi Mishra said his fascination with aircraft began when he was just a child.
Shukla, who attended an air show, later told his sister the speed and sound of the aircraft left him entranced.
He did his schooling at the City Montessori School (CMS) in Lucknow.
Shukla took the National Defence Academy (NDA) exam by chance.
'Some of his CMS classmates had brought up a form for NDA. One of them realized that he was overage by a few days and inquired from Shubhanshu if he would like to apply instead. That's how it all started,' his father Shambhu said.
Test pilot
Shukla graduated from Pune's National Defence Academy (NDA) in 2005 and from the Air Force Academy (AFA) the next year.
As per India Today, Shukla as a test pilot trialled several planes including the SU-30 MKI, Dornier, AN-32, Mig-21, and MiG-29.
He logged over 2,000 hours in the air over a period of two to three years.
Shubhanshu Shukla became an IAF Group Captain in 2024.
'Fighter flying is highly dynamic, so is a space mission that requires you to think on your feet and make split-second decisions, build strong instincts and have the courage to mitigate issues no matter the situation. The Air Force Test Pilot School has prepared Shubhanshu for it well. Therefore, he was one of the first to volunteer for the Gaganyaan Mission to become an astronaut when the news came,' a retired IAF Air Marshal told IndiaToday.in.
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Journey to space
Shukla's journey to space began in 2018 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that an Indian would go to space very soon.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) selected Shukla as an astronaut in 2019.
His wife Kamna, a dentist, told The Times of India the first inkling they had that his dream might become a reality was in 2020.
'It was in the beginning of 2020,' Kamna said. 'One of the criteria for Gaganyaan aspirants was that they had to be test pilots. It's such a small community that we were elated, because whoever it may be, he would be known to us. That small idea has become an incredible reality now.'
Shukla did his basic astronaut training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia's Moscow in 2021.
He worked further on his skills at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru after he returned from Russia.
Shukla became an IAF Group Captain in 2024.
Shukla in January 2025 was chosen as the pilot for the Axiom Space's Mission 4 – a joint undertaking of NASA and ISRO.
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'Amazing journey'
Shukla in a video ahead of the launch called the mission an 'amazing journey' and said he was lucky to be part of something 'much larger than yourself'.
'It has been an amazing journey; these are the moments that really tell you that you are getting to be a part of something that is much larger than yourself. I can only say how extremely fortunate I am to be a part of this,' Shukla said.
Shukla is following in the footsteps of his idol Rakesh Sharma – the first Indian to go to space in 1984 aboard the Soyuz spacecraft of the then Soviet Union.
Shukla said he hopes to use his 'journey to inspire this entire generation to pursue their careers in the field of space' – just as he 'was extremely inspired and motivated' by Sharma's visit to space in 1984.
'Although it's a very exciting place to be, I understand the kind of responsibility it puts on me. It is a kind of representation of the entire nation, and, so this is the beginning of a long journey,' Shukla said earlier this year.
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Shubanshu Shukla will be one of four astronauts taking part in the Axiom-4 mission. X/@NASASpaceOps
'It's true that as our son stands on the brink of history and is set to represent India in NASA's Axiom-4 mission to the ISS. It's an immensely proud moment not just for us but for the country, and we are praying for the success of this space mission each day,' Shambhu told PTI.
Shukla has also been chosen for the Gaganyaan mission – India's first human spaceflight mission.
'He has immense responsibility. The Axiom mission is a stepping stone for India's Gaganyaan programme. Whatever he learns will help the country. He'll be quite busy once he returns,' Kamna told The Times of India.
With inputs from agencies