India celebrates launching its second astronaut ever to space
(MENAFN) India marks a historic milestone as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla becomes the country’s first astronaut to travel to space in 41 years. Shukla launched aboard the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, joining a multi-national crew heading to the International Space Station (ISS).
This is only the second time an Indian has journeyed to space, following cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 flight aboard a Russian Soyuz. Shukla will be the first Indian to visit the ISS, with the spacecraft expected to dock in just over 26 hours.
The Ax-4 mission is led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson and operated by private company Axiom Space. Alongside Shukla, the crew includes Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both returning their countries to space after over four decades.
India’s space agency ISRO views Shukla’s experience as invaluable for advancing its ambitious plans, which include launching its first human spaceflight by 2027, building a space station by 2035, and sending an astronaut to the Moon by 2040. The government invested 5 billion rupees ($59 million) to secure Shukla’s seat and training on the mission.
The successful launch has sparked widespread celebrations across India, marking a new era for the country’s growing space ambitions.
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