India to Send First Astronaut on Mission to ISS This Year

India is set to send its first astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) in over four decades, marking a significant milestone in its space ambitions. Shubhanshu Shukla, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force fighter pilot, will blast off on Tuesday aboard a SpaceX capsule as part of a four-member crew under Axiom Space’s private mission.

Shukla will become the second Indian to reach space after Rakesh Sharma’s historic 1984 flight on a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. “While I’m going to space, this is the journey of 1.4 billion people,” Shukla told The Hindu, expressing hope to inspire a new generation of Indians.

The Indian Space Department hailed the mission as a “defining chapter” in the country’s space programme, calling it a bold step toward reclaiming its position in the global space race. The mission, which reportedly cost India over $60 million, is seen as a precursor to the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) planned human spaceflight mission Gaganyaan in 2027. Shukla is a leading candidate for that effort.

Trained at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and ISRO’s Bengaluru facility, Shukla will spend around 14 days aboard the ISS. The mission is led by Peggy Whitson, a veteran NASA astronaut and Axiom commander, alongside astronauts from Poland and Hungary.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced plans to send an Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040, further underlining India’s growing space aspirations.