AXIOM-4 AND BEYOND: ALL SET FOR GAGANYAAN MISSION

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's successful return from space and his subsequent return to India have set the ball rolling for the Indian human spaceflight programme, with the Gaganyaan manned mission scheduled to lift off in 2027

- JYOTI SINGH

On July 15, 2025, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the second-ever Indian citizen to successfully return from space. The Indian Air Force test pilot’s ambitious odyssey beyond the realms of the earth’s gravity had started on June 25, 2025, when he was launched into orbit on board SpaceX’s brand-new Crew Dragon Grace spacecraft along with three other crew members from the USA, Hungary and Poland. The voyage lasted for 20 days, 2 hours and 59 minutes, which also includes the 18 days and 43 minutes docked at the International Space Station (ISS).

Shubhanshu Shukla returned to India on August 17, 2025 and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi the next day. During the historic meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Shubhanshu Shukla that India needs to have a pool of at least 40 to 50 astronauts for future manned spaceflight missions, which are being planned. This clearly proves the sheer size of the initiatives which are being taken by the government towards realising India’s space dreams.

The last time an Indian citizen had travelled to space was in 1984 during Indira Gandhi’s prime ministership, when Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (a Squadron Leader of the Indian Air Force at that time) flew on board the Soviet Soyuz T-11 spacecraft and docked with the Salyut-7 space station in orbit. Rakesh Sharma had logged a total of 7 days, 21 hours and 40 minutes after which he returned to earth via USSR’s Soyuz T-10 spacecraft.