Shubhanshu Shukla Biography: Age, Education, Missions and Career Detail
Who is Shubhanshu Shukla: Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, is an Indian Air Force test pilot with over 2,000 flight hours. Selected in 2019 for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission, he trained at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. In 2024, he was chosen to pilot Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station, becoming the first Indian astronaut to do so.
What is Gaganyaan Mission: India is preparing for its first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, set to launch in 2025. The mission will carry four astronauts, all experienced Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots, trained for this historic journey. One of them is Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.
Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Shukla is a skilled fighter pilot with over 2,000 hours of flight experience.
He joined the IAF in 2006 and became a test pilot, mastering various aircraft like the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, and Jaguar. In 2019, he was selected for astronaut training and underwent rigorous preparation at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.
Apart from Gaganyaan, Shukla was chosen in 2024 to pilot Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS). This will make him the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS, marking a major milestone in India’s space journey. However, due to some technical issues with SpaceX’s Falcon 9, the mission was postponed from June 10, 2025, to some other date.
The Axiom-4 mission successfully launched on June 25, 2025, carrying Shubhanshu Shukla as the mission pilot, marking a historic moment for India in human spaceflight. Shukla, Commander Peggy Whitson, and two other specialists boarded a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft bound for the International Space Station.
Who is Shubhanshu Shukla? Know About His Age, Education, And Career
Shubhanshu Shukla is a distinguished Indian Air Force officer and astronaut, known for his remarkable achievements in aviation and space exploration. Here’s an overview of his life, education, and career:
Early Life and Education
- Birth: Shubhanshu Shukla was born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
- Schooling: He attended City Montessori School, Lucknow, where he demonstrated academic excellence and a keen interest in technology and aviation.
- Higher Education: Shukla graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune, earning a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) degree. He later pursued a Master of Technology at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.
Career
- Indian Air Force Career: Commissioned into the IAF’s fighter wing in June 2006, Shukla has accumulated over 2,000 hours of flying experience across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
- Rank: He was promoted to the rank of Group Captain in March 2024.
- Astronaut Career: In 2019, Shukla was selected as one of the astronauts for India’s Gaganyaan mission. He underwent rigorous training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia.
- Axiom Mission 4: In 2024, he was chosen as the pilot for Axiom Mission 4, a joint mission with Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX, making him the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station.
Achievements
- First Indian to Visit ISS: Shukla is set to become the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station as part of Axiom Mission 4.
- Gaganyaan Mission: He is also an astronaut-designate for India’s maiden human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, scheduled for 2026.
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