Shubhanshu Shukla Becomes First Indian on ISS Since 1984 – With Experiments and Desi Food

“Namaskar, my dear countrymen, we have reached space after 41 years.”

With these words spoken from orbit in Hindi, Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla marked a historic moment, not just for India, but for the global Indian diaspora. On 25 June 2025, Shukla became the first Indian in over four decades to reach the International Space Station (ISS), flying aboard Axiom Space’s private Axiom-4 mission.

The event signals India’s long-awaited return to human spaceflight, after Rakesh Sharma’s trailblazing 1984 mission with the Soviet space agency. But this time, the launch wasn’t government-led; it was the result of international collaboration, commercial innovation, and national aspiration.

Launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission carries four astronauts from four countries:

1. Peggy Whitson (USA), mission commander and veteran astronaut
2. Sławosz Uznański (Poland), engineer and ESA reserve astronaut
3. Tibor Kapu (Hungary), biotechnologist
4. Shubhanshu Shukla (India), Group Captain in the Indian Air Force

The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, named Grace, successfully reached orbit within ten minutes of liftoff and is scheduled to dock with the ISS roughly 28 hours later, orbiting about 400 km above Earth. The mission, managed by Axiom Space, marks a new era of space travel, driven not just by nations but by private partnerships enabling wider global participation.

Shukla’s achievement resonated deeply across India, especially in his hometown of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. His family and students from his alma mater, City Montessori School, gathered to watch the launch live. Emotional scenes played out in classrooms and community centres as India saw one of its own return to space after a generational gap.

Shortly after reaching microgravity, Shukla declared in Hindi: “Namaskar, my dear countrymen; we have reached space after 41 years. This is not just my journey, but the beginning of India’s human spaceflight journey.”

The Ax-4 crew will spend 14 days aboard the ISS, conducting over 60 scientific experiments, ranging from human physiology to space-based tech and Earth observation. Notably, seven of these experiments were proposed by Indian researchers, showcasing India’s growing scientific presence in global space exploration.

But the mission also carries cultural significance. In a nod to national pride and tradition, Shukla brought Indian curry, rice, and mango nectar aboard, while his fellow astronauts contributed Hungarian paprika paste and Polish dumplings. It’s a small gesture, but a meaningful one: a reminder that even in space, identity travels with you.

The timing of this mission is no coincidence. India’s space agency, ISRO, is preparing for its first indigenous crewed mission, Gaganyaan, targeting a launch later this decade. Shukla’s participation in Ax-4 bridges the past and the future, reviving public interest in space and signalling India’s readiness to step back onto the global human spaceflight stage.

The mission has already sparked public engagement. Outreach events are being planned across Indian schools, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold a live video interaction with Shukla during his time on the ISS.

Shukla’s journey isn’t just a national milestone, it’s part of a broader trend. The Ax-4 mission includes astronauts from Hungary and Poland, both re-entering human spaceflight after long gaps. These international partnerships highlight how commercial platforms like Axiom Space and SpaceX are democratising space access, enabling participation from countries previously dependent on superpower alliances.

For the Indian diaspora in Australia, this mission strikes a powerful chord. It reaffirms a sense of belonging to both a rising India and a globally connected world. With Australia’s own space sector expanding, the opportunity for Indo-Australian collaboration in research, satellite tech, and space education has never been more promising.

As hashtags like #ShuklaInSpace and #IndiaInOrbit trend across social media, it’s clear this moment means more than a flag on a capsule. It represents the dreams of a billion people, the revival of a national space legacy, and a clear signal that India is not just participating in the global space race, it’s shaping its future.

And for every Indian student watching from a classroom in Lucknow, Melbourne, or Sydney, this mission reminds us that space is no longer the final frontier. It’s the next step.