Shubhanshu Shukla's space odyssey sets stage for India's space ambitions

New Delhi | Shubhanshu Shukla's space odyssey as part of the commercial mission to the International Space Station has set the stage for achieving India's own ambitions of human spaceflight – Gaganyaan – and building the Bharat Antariksha Station soon after.

India plans to undertake human spaceflight – Gaganyaan – in 2027 on a home-built rocket and a crew capsule that is at an advanced stage of preparedness.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that Shukla’s space sojourn marked another milestone towards India’s own human space flight mission - Gaganyaan.

While the Gaganyaan mission is eying a 2027 lift-off, the first module of the Bhartiya Antariksha Station is expected to be launched in 2028, with a full-fledged orbital lab taking shape by 2035.

"This mission marks a defining chapter in India’s journey into human spaceflight and is not just a step forward, it is a giant leap in translating ambition into capability," said Somak Raychaudhury, Astrophysicist and Vice Chancellor, Ashoka University.

He said the range of experiments conducted aboard the ISS opened new frontiers for India's scientific community, from space agriculture and materials science to health and AI.

"These insights will be vital as we prepare for missions like Gaganyaan in 2027, an Indian space station by 2035 and a planned human Moon landing by 2040," Raychaudhury said.

The Axiom-4 crew conducted 60 scientific experiments during their stay, including seven designed by ISRO along with Indian research institutions and universities.

"These experiences will inform how we train astronauts, design experiments, and develop life-support technologies suited for longer, independent missions," Raychaudhury said.

ISRO said the Ax-04 mission will provide valuable inputs for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission and offer hands-on experience in the nuances of international crew integration, medical and psychological preparation, real-time health telemetry, experiment execution and crew–ground coordination.

It said these insights will directly influence mission planning, safety validation and astronaut readiness for India’s first indigenous human spaceflight mission.

Indian Space Association Director General Lt Gen A K Bhatt (retd) said the achievement is a stepping stone for India’s future crewed space journeys, including the Gaganyaan mission and the ambitious goal of landing an Indian on the Moon by 2040 in an Indian spacecraft.

"It will not only support ISRO but also give impetus to both global and Indian private space industries. This success marks a significant stride towards realising India’s vision for outer space exploration," Bhatt said.

Subba Rao Pavuluri, chairman-cum-managing director of Ananth Technologies, a key vendor to ISRO, said the Axiom-4 mission was a precursor to India’s own Gaganyaan mission.

"This is in line with Indian ambitions of exploring planets. While our ancestors explored planets with intuition, now we will be exploring planets with experimentation and going there," Subba Rao said.

Shukla enhanced India's pride, renewed confidence among scientists: Amit Shah

New Delhi | Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday congratulated group captain Subhanshu Shukla on his successful return to Earth after a journey to the International Space Station (ISS).

The Union home minister said Shukla has scripted an "episode of triumph" that has not only enhanced the country's pride, but also renewed the confidence among Indian astronauts and scientists about their genius and grit.

The Dragon 'Grace' spacecraft carrying Shukla and three other astronauts made a splashdown off San Diego coast in southern California on Tuesday, capping a 20-day space travel of which 18 days were spent at the ISS.

"My heartiest congratulations to Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla on his successful return to Earth after a journey to the International Space Station. Driven by the sheer quest for greatness of Bharat, he has scripted an episode of triumph that has not only enhanced our pride but also renewed the confidence among Indian astronauts and scientists about their genius and grit," Shah wrote on 'X'.

The home minister said the knowledge and experience acquired in this journey will be crucial for India in the future space missions.