Shukla, who goes by the nickname "Shux", will be the second Indian to travel to space, 41 years after his idol Rakesh Sharma undertook a spaceflight in 1984 onboard erstwhile Soviet Union's Soyuz spacecraft for an eight-day stay in orbit.
After 18 days of experiments, Shubhanshu Shukla and the Axiom-4 crew are set to return to Earth, marking the end of their mission at the International Space Station.
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla stands on the cusp of history as he prepares to set off on a space odyssey, marking India's return to space flight 41 years after his idol Rakesh Sharma orbited the earth for eight days as part of Soviet Union's Interkosmos programme.
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla concludes his 18-day stay at the International Space Station, praising India's ambition, confidence, and pride as seen from space. He echoes Rakesh Sharma's iconic words and expresses gratitude to all involved in the Axiom-4 mission.
Shukla shared these details in an 18-minute interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday from the International Space Station that is orbiting the earth at an altitude of 400 km.
'As humans, we haven't changed much'
The Human-rated LVM3 vehicle, the Crew Escape System and the Crew Module and Service Module are all in final stages of testing and integration.
'You can imagine for India what Shuks means not just to the billions of people in India but the entire Indian diaspora around the world.'
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla returns to Earth after an 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station, marking a significant milestone for India's space program and carrying out crucial scientific experiments.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla Shukla says Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma -- the first Indian to travel to space --has been advising him about the space flight.
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams has broken the record for total spacewalking time by a woman by logging 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalk.
The Lucknow-born Shukla, former NASA astronaut Mission Commander Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary are part of the Axiom-4 mission that marks the return to space for the three nations.
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will be the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), flying aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as part of a joint effort between NASA and ISRO. Shukla, a group captain in the Indian Air Force, will serve as the pilot for the Axiom Mission 4, scheduled for launch no earlier than spring 2025. The mission will also carry the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to stay aboard the ISS.
'He's gonna inspire billions of girls and boys.'
Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams returned to Earth after completing a record-breaking 9-month mission to the International Space Station. The mission was initially planned for eight days but was extended due to issues with their Boeing spacecraft. During her mission, Williams broke the record for most time spent spacewalking by a woman, completing 62 hours and 9 minutes of extra-vehicular activity.
The mission has been delayed for several years because of setbacks in the spacecraft's development.
Indian-American National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronaut Sunita Williams and her Japanese counterpart Akihiko Hoshide have successfully restored power to the International Space Station on their second attempt.
The Indian-American astronaut will fly the first space capsules built by private companies, SpaceX and Boeing.
TIME said a record 45 people on this list are under 40 -- including the youngest designer ever, 14-year-old actor Millie Bobby Brown -- and a common theme in the tributes is how much people can learn from them.
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