Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

Axiom Space

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a distinguished pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF), has been handpicked as one of the four astronauts for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) historic Gaganyaan mission—the nation’s inaugural human space flight endeavor. Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, Shukla possesses fluency in both English and his native Hindi. His journey began when he was commissioned into the IAF fighter wing in June 2006. As a combat leader and seasoned test pilot, he boasts an impressive 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. His ascent to the rank of group captain in March 2024 reflects his exceptional contributions. In 2019, Shukla received a momentous call from ISRO. He embarked on rigorous training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow, Russia—a year-long preparation that would shape his destiny. On February 27, 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally introduced Shukla as one of the four astronauts chosen for the historic Gaganyaan mission. Now, with the successful launch of Ax-4, Shukla has become one of the few Indians to venture into space, an achievement that symbolizes India’s rising stature in global space exploration. His role aboard Ax-4 not only represents a personal triumph but also a proud chapter in India’s spaceflight history. Courtesy of Axiom Space.

Axiom-4

SpaceX and Axiom launched an all-private mission to the International Space Station. The Ax-4 crew lived and worked on the station, carrying out a full schedule of scientific, outreach, and commercial activities.

Crew Dragon is the first privately built and operated orbital spacecraft capable of flying humans. As a reusable SpaceX capsule, it transports crew members to and from the International Space Station. It will also carry paying customers to the Station and low Earth orbit. While it typically accommodates a crew of four, this number can vary depending on the mission.

Crew Dragon

Shubhanshu Shukla

India

NASA

SpaceX

This astronaut visited the International Space Station.

ISS Visitor

This astronaut crossed the Kármán Line (100 km), the internationally accepted boundary of space.

Crossed Kármán Line

This astronaut is in the top 5% for total spacewalking time.

Elite Spacewalker

This astronaut is in the top 5% for total time in space.

Elite Spaceflyer

This astronaut has spent over a month in space.

Space Resident

This astronaut is in the top 5% for number of space walks.

Frequent Walker

Axiom-2

United States of America

Saudi Arabia

SpaceX and Axiom launched the second all-private astronaut crew to the ISS. The Ax-2 crew spent 8 days working and living on the International Space Station to implement a full mission manifest of science, outreach, and commercial activities.

STS-111 (Endeavour)

This Space Shuttle flight rotated the Expedition 4 and 5 International Space Station crews and delivered Canadarm2's Mobile Base System, which gave the arm extra reach and mobility.

The first reusable launch and landing spacecraft, the Space Shuttle began a new chapter of human space exploration. It launched like a rocket but landed on a runway like a plane. Shuttle crews deployed dozens of commercial satellites and two interplanetary probes to Venus and Jupiter. The Shuttle served as a mini space station and hosted hundreds of biomedical, psychological, physiological, materials science, and physics experiments that have directly benefited life on Earth. The five flight-worthy Shuttles -- Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour -- flew 135 missions over 30 years. The Shuttles helped construct the Russian Mir space station and brought nearly 80% of the International Space Station to orbit. Shuttles also deployed and serviced the Hubble Space Telescope.

Space Shuttle

Poland

Hungary

Soyuz TMA-11

Soyuz TMA-11 ferried part of the Expedition 16 crew to and from the International Space Station. Malaysian astronaut Shukor joined for a short duration mission, returning to Earth on Soyuz TMA-10. During reentry, the Service Module failed to separate from the Descent Module, resulting in a harsh and steep reentry and landing. The Soyuz reentered hatch first, nearly causing a burn through and the loss of the crew. The Service Module finally tore free, and Soyuz righted itself and landed safely.

Soyuz is a human-carrying capsule built and operated by Russia, capable of transporting up to three people to the Space Station at a time. It has been upgraded numerous times since its first use in the 1960s for the Soviet lunar program and was the only crewed vehicle for the Station from 2011 to 2020.

Soyuz

Soyuz MS-03

Soyuz MS-03 took three members of the Expedition 50 crew to the International Space Station. Whitson remained on the ISS after Soyuz MS-03's mission was complete and landed with the Soyuz MS-04

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