As the pilot of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched for the highly anticipated Axiom 4 mission to reach the International Space Station, Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has written history. After several delays, the liftoff occurred on Wednesday, June 25 at 12:01 p.m.

It is a 14-day research-oriented mission that will see Shukla and his fellow astronauts perform more than 60 experiments spanning life sciences, physics, agriculture, materials research, and biomedicine.

After the esteemed Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma, Shukla is the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS in the past four decades.

Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) astronaut, is joined by mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, as well as former NASA astronaut and mission commander Peggy Whitson. Poland, Hungary, and India all make their space debuts with the Axiom 4 mission.

It is also a testament to how public-private partnerships are shaping the future of space travel, blending national pride with commercial capability.

This moment marks a symbolic resurgence of India in human spaceflight—rooted in legacy yet focused on a future of continued scientific exploration and international collaboration.