Wing Commander Shubanshu Shukla has been selected as the prime astronaut for the upcoming Indo-US mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
On Friday, ISRO announced that its Human Space Flight Centre has signed a space flight agreement with Axiom Space Inc., USA, for the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS.
The National Mission Assignment Board has recommended Shukla as the prime gaganyatri and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair as the backup gaganyatri for the mission.
“The assigned crewmembers will be finally approved to fly to the International Space Station by the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP). The recommended gaganyatris will commence their training for the mission from the first week of August 2024,” ISRO said in a statement.
During the mission, the gaganyatris will undertake selected scientific research and technology demonstration experiments on board the ISS as well as engage in space outreach activities.
Who Is Wing Commander Shubanshu Shukla?
Wing Commander Shubanshu Shukla, hailing from Lucknow, is an alumnus of City Montessori School in Aliganj. Commissioned as a fighter pilot in 2006, he has accumulated over 16 years of service and more than 2,000 flying hours.
Fondly called as Gunjan, Shubanshu is the youngest of three siblings and the first in his family to join the armed forces. He is also a father to a four-year-old son, and his family considers this a momentous occasion.
Shubanshu was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on June 17, 2006, and describes his career as a “rollercoaster ride.” He has excelled in his field, becoming a fighter combat leader and test pilot with experience in various aircraft, including the Su-30MKI, MIG-21, MIG-29, Jaguar, and Hawk.
On February 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced Shubanshu’s selection, along with three other astronauts, for the Gaganyaan mission at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. The four will embark on ISRO’s first crewed space mission to low Earth orbit.
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Gaganyaan, India’s first human spaceflight mission, is slated for launch in 2025 and aims to send a manned crew on a three-day mission to orbit 400 km above Earth before returning.
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced in the Lok Sabha last week that ISRO has partnered with NASA and Axiom Space for this joint mission.
“This is a collaborative effort of ISRO, NASA, and NASA-identified private entity, i.e., Axiom Space. Recently, ISRO has signed a Space Flight Agreement with Axiom Space for this joint mission to the ISS,” he said
The astronauts have already completed basic spaceflight training in Russia and are currently undergoing advanced training at ISRO’s Astronaut Training Facility (ATF) in Bengaluru.
(With inputs from agencies)
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