Into the Stars: Indian Air Force Warrior Leads Mission ‘Akashganga'

National News: The much-awaited space flight of Air Force officer Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who brought pride to India, has been postponed for a day. This historic flight, which was to take place on June 10 from Kennedy Space Center in the US, is now scheduled for June 11, 2025. NASA and Axiom Space have jointly taken this decision in view of bad weather.

Excitement across the country about 'Mission Akashganga'

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has been selected for the Axiom-4 mission of US private space company Axiom Space. This mission is also being promoted in India as 'Mission Akashganga.' Under this mission, he will leave for the International Space Station (ISS) through SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. Shubhanshu will be among the select Air Force officers who will travel to space with the Indian flag in this mission.

Who is Shubhanshu Shukla?

Born in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, Shubhanshu Shukla is 39 years old. He was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in 2006. In the last 18 years, Shubhanshu has not only gained deep experience of flights, but he is also a skilled test pilot. So far he has completed more than 2,000 hours of flights and has successfully flown many combat and transport aircraft like the Sukhoi-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and AN-32.

From ISRO's Gaganyaan to Axiom-4

Shubhanshu's space journey is not sudden. In 2020, he was selected as a trainee for ISRO's 'Gaganyaan Mission'. This is India's first human space mission, which will be launched in the coming years. Within four years, he has earned global recognition for his technical proficiency and flying skills in space missions. This experience now makes them suitable for international missions like Axiom-4.

Launch of Axiom-4 mission to International Space Station:

Due to weather conditions, the launch of Axiom-4 mission for sending Indian Gaganyatri to International Space Station is postponed from 10th June 2025 to 11th June 2025.

The targeted time of launch is 5:30 PM IST on 11th…

— ISRO (@isro) June 9, 2025

One day delayed, but proud flight confirmed

Even though Shubhnshu Shukla's space flight was delayed by one day, the excitement about this mission remains intact in the whole country. #MissionAakashGanga is trending on social media, and people are sending good wishes. Experts believe that this mission will prove to be a milestone in the direction of civil-military cooperation and international participation in the Indian space sector.

This space journey of Shubhnshu Shukla is a sign of taking India's scientific, military, and global participation to a new height. June 11 is no longer just a flight but has become a day to write a new chapter in Indian space history.