Four decades after Rakesh Sharma, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla set for space travel in May

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is set to travel to the International Space Station next month as part of an Axiom-4 mission, four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic spaceflight on-board Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Friday.

Singh made the remarks after reviewing the work of the Department of Space and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) here.

“Group Captain Shukla’s journey is more than just a flight – it’s a signal that India is stepping boldly into a new era of space exploration,” Singh said.

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan made a presentation on various upcoming space missions.

ISRO is set to launch the NISAR satellite – developed jointly with NASA – in June on board the GSLV-Mark 2 rocket, Singh said, adding that in July the space agency will put in orbit BlueBird Block-2 satellites of US-based AST SpaceMobile Inc. using the heavy-lift LVM-3 rocket.

Singh said Group Captain Shukla’s mission, scheduled for May, marks a milestone in India’s expanding international space collaborations.

A decorated test pilot with the Indian Air Force, Group Captain Shukla was shortlisted under ISRO’s human spaceflight programme and is among the top contenders for the Gaganyaan mission.

His journey aboard the Axiom-4 mission is expected to provide critical hands-on experience in spaceflight operations, launch protocols, microgravity adaptation, and emergency preparedness – all essential for India's crewed space ambitions, an official statement said.

“What sets Shukla’s mission apart is its strategic importance. Unlike the symbolic undertones of India's first human spaceflight, this time the focus is on operational readiness and global integration,” it said.

The statement said Shukla’s participation underscores India’s growing engagement with public-private international partnerships in space and its resolve to emerge as a serious contender in human space exploration.

Singh said the collaboration with international partners and the strategic momentum of projects like Gaganyaan reflect India's commitment to becoming a global leader in space technology.

The minister said these efforts were not only scientific in nature but also aligned with the vision of a developed and self-reliant India.

ISRO also plans to launch the PSLV-C61 mission carrying the EOS-09 satellite, which is equipped with a C-band synthetic aperture radar, capable of capturing high-resolution images of Earth's surface under all weather conditions, day or night.

Another significant milestone will be the Test Vehicle-D2 (TV-D2) mission, designed to simulate an abort scenario and demonstrate Gaganyaan Crew Escape System.

The mission includes sea recovery operations for the Crew Module, mimicking procedures planned for India’s first human spaceflight, he said.