Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will make space trip next month: Trade Union Minister | Indian News
Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Friday that Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will head to the International Space Station next month as part of the Axiom-4 mission, after 40 years on Rakesh Sharma’s iconic space flight Russia was on the Russian Soyuz Spacecraft.
Singh made a comment after reviewing the work of the Space Ministry in New Delhi and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
“Captain Shukla’s journey is more than just airplanes, which shows that India is boldly entering a new era of space exploration,” Singh said.
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan gave a speech on various upcoming space missions.
Singh said ISRO plans to launch the NISAR satellite with NASA in June (developed with NASA), GSLV-Mark 2 Rocket said, adding that the space agency will use heavy LVM-3 LVM-3 RockEt to place the space agency in the Orbit Bluebird Block-2 satellite of AST AST Spacemobile Inc. in the U.S.
Singh said the mission of the group Shukla, scheduled for May, is a milestone in India’s expanding international space cooperation.
A decorated test pilot from the group Shukla was shortlisted under ISRO’s Human Space Flight Program, one of the biggest contenders of Gaganyaan Mission.
The official statement said his journey to Axiom-4 mission is expected to provide important hands-on experience in space flight operations, launch protocols, microgravity adaptation and emergency preparedness – which is crucial for Indian crew members’ space ambitions.
“What makes Shukla’s mission unique is its strategic importance. Unlike the symbolic background of India’s first human spaceflight, this time the focus is operational preparation and global integration,” it said.
Shukla’s participation highlights the growing number of India’s international partnerships with public-private governments and its determination to become a serious competitor in human space exploration, the statement said.
Singh said the collaboration with international partners and the strategic momentum of projects like Gagania reflects India’s commitment to becoming a global leader in space technology.
The minister said that these efforts were not only scientific but also aligned with the vision of a developed and self-reliant India.
ISRO also plans to launch a PSLV-C61 mission with the EOS-09 satellite, equipped with a C-band synthetic aperture radar that can capture high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface during the day or at night in all weather conditions.
Another important milestone will be the test vehicle D2 (TV-D2) mission, designed to simulate abort scenarios and demonstrate the Gaganyaan crew escape system.
The mission, he said, includes maritime recovery operations targeting crew modules, mimicking India’s first human space program.
