40 Yrs After Rakesh Sharma, Another Indian Flies to Space

India marked a proud moment in space history again as Shubhamshu Shukla, an Indian-origin astronaut, soared into space this week, becoming the second Indian to travel to space after a gap of four decades since Rakesh Sharma.

While India has made remarkable progress in launching satellites and supporting global space missions, this moment is particularly special because it puts an Indian astronaut back in space after a long wait.

Shubhamshu is part of the Axiom-4 mission, a joint effort between NASA and ISRO, designed to send astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). He is flying alongside three other astronauts from different countries. The mission lifted off from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, using the Falcon 9 rocket, with Shubhamshu serving as the pilot of the mission.

The crew is expected to reach the ISS after a 28-hour journey. Once docked, they will live and conduct experiments aboard the space station for the next 14 days. The docking process with the ISS is known to be highly complex and requires great precision.

Back in 1984, Rakesh Sharma made history by becoming the first Indian to travel to space, joining two Russian astronauts aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. Since then, no Indian has entered space, until now.

ISRO is believed to have invested approximately ₹550 crore into this historic collaboration, making Shubhamshu’s mission not only symbolic but also a significant step forward for India in human spaceflight.

With this, India once again proves it is not just a major force in satellite technology, but also gearing up to be a player in manned space missions.