Desi food, yoga: India's first astronaut to ISS—Shubhanshu Shukla—shares plans
What's the story
Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is all set to make history as the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS).
He will be piloting the Axiom-4 mission, which is set to launch aboard a SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft no earlier than spring 2025.
The mission will only be the second time an Indian has traveled into space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's journey in 1984.
Space activities
Shukla's plans for microgravity experience on ISS
Shukla said he was excited to experience microgravity conditions inside the ISS. He plans to perform yoga postures on the station.
"I also have a personal agenda of capturing my experiences on board the space station through pictures and videos so that I can share these with all the 'Bharatvaasis' back home," Shukla said in an online press conference organized by NASA.
Mission details
Axiom-4 mission: A joint venture by NASA and ISRO
The Axiom-4 mission is a joint mission of NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The crew for the mission comprises Peggy Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
Shukla also revealed plans to take some unique items from various parts of India to the ISS, with an Indian university assigned by ISRO to choose them.
Cultural exchange
Shukla to introduce Indian cuisine to fellow astronauts
Shukla has been preparing different kinds of Indian food with his crew members, and is excited to take these dishes into space.
"I have been cooking different types of Indian food with my crew members and added that I was looking forward to taking those to space," he said.
This cultural exchange is part of his larger plan to share his unique ISS experiences with fellow astronauts and people back home in India.
Crew commendation
Whitson praises Axiom-4 crew's dedication and commitment
Former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space's Director of Human Spaceflight, Whitson, will lead the commercial mission.
She praised the dedication and commitment of the Axiom-4 crew, saying their "selfless dedication and commitment to expanding horizons and creating opportunities for their nations in space exploration is truly remarkable."
The mission aims to conduct experiments on deep space exploration over a 14-day period.
Profile
Take a look at Shukla's background
Shukla, born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, was commissioned into IAF as a fighter pilot in June 2006.
He holds the rank of Group Captain, achieved in March 2024, and has accumulated over 2,000 flight hours across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
In 2019, Shukla underwent astronaut training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia. He was later selected by ISRO for Gaganyaan mission—the country's first human spaceflight program.
Twitter Post
Meet the Axiom-4 crew
Meet the #Ax4 crew.
— Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) January 30, 2025
🇺🇸 Commander Peggy Whitson
🇮🇳 Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of #India
🇵🇱 Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of ESA/#Poland
🇭🇺 Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of #Hungary pic.twitter.com/Jjx8ERGqFf