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| Shubhanshu Shukla and his team |
By The Oracle Daily | June 25, 2025
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL — At exactly 8:22 AM local time, a loud rumble cracked across the Florida coastline. As the Falcon 9 rocket cut through the clouds above Kennedy Space Center, it carried with it not just fuel and metal, but the quiet hopes of over a billion people. Among the four astronauts onboard was Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who, at that moment, became only the second Indian citizen to travel into space.
Forty-one years ago, Rakesh Sharma had gazed back at Earth from orbit and called India “Saare Jahan Se Achha.” Today, Shubhanshu takes that legacy forward — with new tools, new partners, and a world that’s changed in every way but one: our shared dream to reach for the stars.
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👨🚀 A Story Rooted in Discipline and Determination
Born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and raised in a family of teachers, Shubhanshu was no stranger to discipline. Friends recall his early fascination with aircraft and stars — a child who once folded paper planes and now pilots spacecraft.
Before donning the space suit, Shukla wore the Indian Air Force uniform with distinction. He served as a test pilot, logging over 2,000 flight hours and training extensively in Russia and India as part of ISRO’s Gaganyaan preparation program. But fate had a different first step for him — through Axiom Mission 4, an international collaboration involving NASA, Axiom Space, ISRO, and SpaceX.
🌍 A Mission Beyond Borders
This isn’t just an Indian milestone. The Axiom 4 crew represents a mosaic of nations — India, the United States, Poland, and Hungary — all united aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon. For the next two weeks, the astronauts will live aboard the International Space Station, conducting over 60 scientific experiments ranging from diabetes research to fluid dynamics in microgravity.
India, through Shubhanshu’s presence, will also test experimental payloads meant to inform the country’s own human spaceflight roadmap.
“This mission isn’t just about going up,” said one ISRO official. “It’s about bringing back knowledge.”
🕊 Celebrations, Chants, and Teary Eyes in Lucknow
Back home, the launch was watched with bated breath. In the Shukla household, his parents lit a diya, recited verses from the Sundar Kand, and joined neighbors outside with folded hands as the countdown reached zero.
“It felt like the whole mohalla (neighborhood) held its breath,” said Meena Shukla, his mother, holding back tears. “When the rocket soared, it was like our prayers took flight too.”
Outside the ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru, students and young scientists held signs that read, "Thank you for taking India back to space."
🔭 What Comes Next?
While Axiom Mission 4 is a private-public partnership, it sets the tone for Gaganyaan, India’s long-awaited crewed mission expected in 2027. Unlike Rakesh Sharma’s Soviet mission in 1984, India today is building its own rockets, capsules, and ambitions.
Shubhanshu Shukla is more than just a pilot — he is a bridge between India’s past and future in space.
🌠 A Final Thought
Some achievements are written in textbooks. Others, like this, are etched in memory. Watching Shubhanshu float weightless, one is reminded not just of India's growing prowess in space but of something deeper — that every orbit starts with one brave step away from home.
🛰 Stay with us at The Oracle Daily for real stories, real science, and the people behind the stars.