Key Highlights
- (File Photo)India Today Science DeskNew Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 25, 2026 19:38 ISTWritten By: Radifah KabirGroup Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s trailblazing astronaut, has been honoured with the prestigious Ashok Chakra for his extraordinary courage during the historic Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station. This peacetime gallantry award, India’s highest, recognises his pivotal role as mission pilot in June 2025, marking the first Indian visit to the ISS in over four decades. Launched aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft “Grace” on June 25, 2025, Shukla’s 18-day expedition involved over 60 scientific experiments, including seven led by Isro. advertisement As part of a multinational crew with astronauts from Poland and Hungary, he navigated the high-stakes journey, docking with the ISS after 26 hours and conducting vital research that bolsters India’s Gaganyaan programme slated for 2027.
- Shubhanshu Shukla with Narendra Modi (Photo: PTI) His daring feats, piloting through orbital manoeuvres and managing microgravity operations, exemplified unparalleled bravery amid potential risks like system failures or re-entry hazards. The announcement, reported just hours ago, has ignited national pride.
- Shukla’s groundbreaking contributions have inspired 1.4 billion Indians.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who celebrated the launch, praised Shukla for carrying the nation’s aspirations. Shukla, a 39-year-old IAF officer from Lucknow selected for Gaganyaan in 2019, trained rigorously at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Centre. His safe return on July 15, 2025, after orbiting Earth hundreds of times, solidified his legacy as only the second Indian in space since Rakesh Sharma in 1984. Isro invested heavily to secure his seat, gaining invaluable data for indigenous human spaceflight. This accolade elevates Shukla alongside rare space honourees, fuelling excitement for India’s space station by 2035. SCIENTIFIC MILESTONES ACHIEVED IN MICROGRAVITYDuring his 18-day tenure aboard the orbital outpost, Group Captain Shukla executed a suite of complex experiments essential for future Isro missions.
- He spearheaded research into space anaemia and cardiovascular health, monitoring how the human body reacts to prolonged weightlessness. Furthermore, he managed advanced materials' science tests, focusing on the solidification of alloys in microgravity.
