India is poised to script a defining chapter in its space journey, with the international space mission carrying Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla scheduled for the next month.

Announcing this after a high-level meeting held to review major future plans of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the coming months, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Space Jitendra Singh said the mission would mark the visit of first Indian ever to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and the first Indian astronaut to travel to space in over four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s iconic 1984 flight aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.

The announcement comes amid a flurry of activity in India’s space sector, which is gearing up for an ambitious slate of missions in the coming months. Dr V Narayanan, Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, made a presentation elaborating the status of various upcoming space missions.

The ISRO Chairman informed that Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force is all prepared to fly to the International Space Station next month as part of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission.

Group Captain Shukla’s mission, scheduled for May 2025, marks a milestone in India’s expanding international space collaborations. A decorated test pilot with the Indian Air Force, he was shortlisted under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Programme (HSP) and is among the top contenders for the Gaganyaan mission, India’s first indigenous crewed orbital flight.

His journey aboard the Ax-4 mission is expected to provide critical hands-on experience in spaceflight operations, launch protocols, microgravity adaptation, and emergency preparedness — all essential for India’s crewed space ambitions.