Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s second astronaut to venture into space, was celebrated at a felicitation ceremony hosted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Air Force Auditorium in Subroto Park, New Delhi. The 39-year-old Indian Air Force (IAF) officer, who recently returned from a 20-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission, shared his remarkable journey from a shy child in Lucknow to a national hero.

Shukla, known by his callsign ‘Shux,’ became the first Indian to live and work on the ISS, marking a significant milestone for India’s space ambitions, 41 years after Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 spaceflight.

During the event, Shukla reflected on his transformative experience with the IAF, crediting it for shaping his resilience and preparing him for the challenges of space. He recounted his unexpected entry into the National Defence Academy, sparked by a friend’s application form, and how the IAF’s rigorous training equipped him for life’s hardships.

Shukla’s 20-day Axiom-4 mission, launched on June 25, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, involved conducting seven Indian-led microgravity experiments, from muscle regeneration to crop viability, advancing India’s scientific contributions to space research. He shared vivid anecdotes of witnessing 16 sunrises and sunsets daily and the challenges of microgravity, captivating over 100 students from IAF-affiliated schools in attendance.

Shukla’s journey has ignited national pride and curiosity about space exploration, aligning with India’s ambitions for the Gaganyaan program and the Bharatiya Antariksha Station. Addressing the youth, he urged them to stay curious and focused, emphasizing the endless possibilities in space exploration. His interactions with students, including live sessions from the ISS, have inspired a new generation, with attendees like 16-year-old Jai Vashishth aspiring to become a fighter pilot and Ashwina Tripathy aiming for a career in aerospace medicine.

Shukla’s mission, hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders, underscores India’s growing role in global space exploration, with the astronaut’s call to send an Indian into space on an Indian rocket resonating as a vision for the future.

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