“This is not just a mission to the International Space Station. This is India’s handshake with the future of humanity.”

High above the pale blue curve of Earth, a gleaming capsule slices silently through the void — the Crew Dragon, call sign Freedom. Inside, wearing the Indian Tricolour on his sleeve, sits Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, pilot of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). His fingers hover calmly above digital displays, gaze locked, his thoughts composed. He is the calm behind the controls, the logic beneath the velocity.

🚀 The Pilot of the Impossible

Though the Dragon capsule is equipped with state-of-the-art automation, in space, nothing is ever routine. And that’s where Shukla stands apart — the man chosen to take manual control if machines falter. From the explosive ascent through Earth’s atmosphere, to orbital insertion, to the razor-thin margin of docking with the ISS at 28,000 kmph — his mind must be faster than failure, steadier than steel.

Veteran NASA commander Peggy Whitson had just two words for him:

“Wicked smart.”

🛰️ More Than a Pilot — A Guardian of Mission Integrity

In the pitch silence of orbit, Shukla becomes more than a co-pilot:

• A navigator, guiding the capsule’s precise ballet as it inches toward the ISS.
• A systems commander, performing real-time diagnostics and calibrations.
• An emergency officer, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice.
• And above all, a bridge — between the capsule and Earth, between astronauts and mission control.

🔬 India’s Scientific Vanguard in Orbit

But Shukla doesn’t just pilot the capsule — he is the chief scientific ambassador of India aboard the ISS. Carrying seven Indian-designed experiments, he leads breakthrough research that could change how we live in space and survive on Earth:

• 🌱 Methi & Moong Sprouting: To understand how life begins in zero gravity.
• 🌊 Microalgae & Cyanobacteria: For oxygen recycling and nutrition in future Mars missions.
• 💉 Suite Ride: A biomedical experiment aimed at diabetes regulation, with applications in both spaceflight and Indian healthcare.

He’s not just bringing data. He’s bringing India’s curiosity.

🧬 The IISc Experiments — India’s Genius on Display

The Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, entrusted Shukla with two profound experiments:

Tardigrade Survival in Space: These near-indestructible organisms — “water bears” — are the blueprint of life’s resilience. Studying their revival, reproduction, and gene response in space may unlock new biotechnologies for human survival in deep space.

Human–Computer Interaction in Microgravity:How do our brains and eyes respond to floating touchscreens in zero-G? Shukla tests the future of the human-machine interface that could guide not just space shuttles but Mars landers.

These experiments aren’t just academic. They are the early steps toward humanity’s interplanetary existence.

🛩️ From Su-30MKI to Spacecraft Cockpits

With over 2,000 flight hours on India’s fiercest fighter jets — the Su-30MKI, MiG-29, Jaguars — Shukla’s career has been a story of controlled fury and steel nerves. Now, he brings that same mastery into the silence of space.

Trained by the best — at NASA, SpaceX, Roscosmos, ESA, and JAXA — he’s flown in mock ISS modules, survived extreme isolation training, and practiced countless docking simulations. No matter the flag, every space agency knows: he’s the real deal.

🌌 The Gaganyaan Connection – A Testbed for the Tricolour

Shukla isn’t just flying for the Ax-4. He is the advance party for ISRO’s Gaganyaan, India’s first human spaceflight mission, scheduled for 2027. His data, his performance, his presence — they’re paving the path for India’s autonomous spacefaring ambitions.

He carries the tricolour in his heart. And he carries the mission log in his hands.

🌍 Why It Matters – A Nation Reaches the Stars

• First Indian to board the ISS
• Only the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma
• First to perform Indian microgravity experiments onboard ISS
• Symbol of India’s re-entry into elite human spaceflight circles
• He’s not just a passenger. He’s a living relay between India’s ancient sky-stories and her futuristic space odyssey.

🕊️ A Pilot. A Scientist. A Messenger of 1.4 Billion Dreams.

“I fly not just for India,” he once said. “I fly with India behind me.”

His teammates describe him as the “anchor” of the mission. NASA staff call him “a 130-year-old brain in a 40-year-old body.” But to every young dreamer looking skyward from a village or city across India — he is proof that courage, intellect, and preparation can launch you into the stars.

From cockpit to capsule, from fighter jet to free orbit, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is more than an astronaut. He is a message. That India belongs in space — not as an observer, but as a full-fledged explorer.

Wing Commander BS Sudarshan is a former Indian Air Force pilot with over 12,000 flying hours. He participated in Operation Pawan and Operation Cactus before he transitioned to civil aviation. A passionate writer, he has authored six books, including "Hasiru Hampe", appreciated by S L Bhyrappa, and the latest "Evergreen Hampi". He is a regular contributor to the Verandah Club.