Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is on his way to the International Space Station, becoming the second Indian national to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma.
According to media reports, Shukla will not receive an hourly salary or any separate honorarium for the mission. Instead, the Government of India is covering the entire cost, having paid approximately Rs 548 crore to the U.S.-based private space company Axiom Space. This amount includes expenses for Shukla’s training, travel, space suit, research kit, and other mission-related resources.
Shukla’s mission will last around 14 days, during which he will conduct nearly 60 scientific experiments in space. These include studying the effects of microgravity on the human body, testing space food, conducting biological research, and exploring technologies essential for future missions.
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Originally from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Shukla is a decorated test pilot with the Indian Air Force. Commissioned into the fighter stream in June 2006, he has accumulated over 2,000 flying hours on aircraft such as the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. His promotion to Group Captain in March 2024 highlights his distinguished service record.
In 2019, Shukla was selected by ISRO for astronaut training. He completed a year-long intensive program at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow, preparing him for human spaceflight.
The mission was earlier postponed due to unspecified reasons.
