Brief by Shorts91 NewsDesk / 11:20am on 09 Jun 2025,Monday Science
Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s pioneering astronaut, is set to make history by becoming the first Indian on the ISS in 41 years since Rakesh Sharma. His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, tells NDTV how Shubhanshu has always been unwaveringly determined joining the NDA at 16, excelling academically, and later becoming a decorated IAF test‑pilot. “When he decides to do something, he puts in all his hard work and dedication,” his father says. His mother recalls his studious childhood, noting he rarely played outdoors. Born in Lucknow in October 1985, Shukla earned his BSc in Computer Science in 2004, was commissioned into the IAF in 2006, and was selected for Gaganyaan in 2020. The US-based Axiom Space is set to launch its Mission-4, carrying Mr Shukla, along with three others, from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on June 10 at 5:52 pm IST. The mission was deferred three times before. According to NASA, the delay was to "account for weather during vehicle transportation and completing final processing of the vehicle ahead of launch". (PC: India Today & The New Indian Express)
