The Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon-9 rocket lifted off majestically from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre today, 25 June 2025, at 12:01 IST with four crew onboard. While this is a small step for ISRO, it is a giant leap for Bharat because the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is being piloted by Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla with Commander Peggy Whitson (USA) and mission specialists Stawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland) representing European Space Agency (ESA) and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) in tow.
The mission underscores global significance and international collaboration to advance research in low-Earth orbit (LEO). There were a few anxious moments and uncertainties about the mission when a liquid oxygen leak in the rocket was noticed in the last minute, leading to repeated delays in the launch. Thanks to the role played by our ISRO chief Dr V Narayanan, who is a top expert on liquid engines and a part of the Indian team responsible for making our indigenous cryogenic engine, a major tragedy was averted.
Shubhanshu has straight away walked into the footsteps of Neil Armstrong, who piloted the first successful mission to land humans on the Moon in NASA’s Apollo 11 mission in 1969 from the same Launch Complex 39A. But, unlike Armstrong, who became the first man to walk on the moon’s surface, Shubhanshu will be orbiting the International Space Station. Space mission astronauts are generally divided into pilots and mission specialists categories. As the name implies, pilot astronauts come to the mission after a career as a pilot, and mission specialists after a career in fields like engineering, medicine or any other branch of science to pursue research.
A pilot astronaut plays a key role in spacecraft operations during launch, docking and undocking with the space station, and return to Earth operations. He also serves as second-in-command to the mission commander. Test pilots from the military are preferred in space missions because of their physical fitness and the ability to think and react under extreme pressure with new technology.
The acquired skills at the pilot school, where new vehicles with newer technologies are tested constantly, make them suitable for the job. They operate under extreme pressure and respond quickly to off-normal situations, as all crewed space missions are experimental today, intended to demonstrate its capabilities before it becomes routine for routine use. The latest example was the experimental launch of the Boeing Starliner in 2024 that carried astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore and got stuck for nearly 9 months on the ISS due to thruster malfunctions and helium gas leaks.
The other category is the mission specialists who perform payload experiments and are trained to do Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA), which includes spacewalks and robotic arm operations. While robotic arm operations from inside the spaceship for exterior work are relatively easy, spacewalk is hard work, carried out in extreme conditions with more than an element of danger. Working outside whilst the spacecraft is orbiting is not just about floating weightless in space and enjoying a breathtaking view of the Earth’s bright surface, it entails working in a hostile environment that is an almost total vacuum at temperatures ranging from as high as 120 degrees Celsius in direct sunlight to as little as minus 160 degrees Celsius in shadow. Without the protection of a space suit, an astronaut would die in less than a minute and a tear in the suit could be fatal.
ISRO has shortlisted four astronauts for India’s Gaganyaan mission scheduled for a 2027 launch. All these astronauts, including Shubhanshu, are Indian Air Force test pilots from the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment in Bengaluru. Shubhanshu is the first Indian to visit the ISS and only the second Indian in space, after Rakesh Sharma. India has set its sights on establishing the Bhartiya Antariksha Station (BAS) by 2035, and the participation of Shubhanshu in the Axiom-4 mission is a part of the strategy to achieve this goal. His participation will provide critical insights on international mission protocols, microgravity adaptations, and space station operations that would greatly help to execute the first multi-crewed Gaganyaan mission. This mission will also help acquire experience in terms of training, adaptability, exposure to the facilities, and conducting a few experiments in space.
Shubhanshu’s journey to ISS carries hopes and dreams of more than a billion Indian people and will inspire a new generation of Indian space enthusiasts, potentially leading to more participation in space exploration programs. He will be interacting with Indian students on his experience and scientific experiments on the ISS that will enthuse a generation of dreamers in science and technology. He may also interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and who knows, may come up with a 2.0 version of “Saare Jahan Se Acha, a reply given by India’s first astronaut Rakesh Sharma when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi asked how India looks from space while orbiting the Earth aboard Soviet spacecraft Soyuz T-11 in 1984.
As Shubhanshu pilots the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to its destination, more than a billion souls will wait with bated breath and prayers in their hearts for the success of this mission and the safe return of the astronauts to Earth. A century ago, Mark Twain famously said, Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Prime Minister Modi follows this philosophy and believes in action rather than waiting. And that is why he made a wise investment of Rs 550 crores, keeping an eye on ROI (Return on Investment), for a seat on SpaceX Dragon spacecraft owned by a private company, SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk.
I conclude my tribute to Indian Space Science Heroes by a message to Shubhanshu. Dear Shubhanshu, we have received your message from space that reads, “We are orbiting the Earth. This is the start of India’s human space program. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat”. Though not with you physically, you will feel the force and strength of more than a billion people behind you. Go, Go, Go and dock with ISS and come back with glory to Bharat. The entire nation is proud of you.
