Retired Air Commodore Ravish Malhotra, one of India’s first trained astronauts, has hailed the upcoming Axiom-4 mission as a key milestone in India’s journey toward its maiden human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan. The mission will send Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS), making him the second Indian to travel to space and the first to visit the ISS.
Speaking to ANI, Malhotra, who was the backup astronaut to Rakesh Sharma during the historic 1984 Indo-Soviet space mission, said Shukla’s flight would serve as a “stepping stone” for India’s Gaganyaan mission scheduled for launch in 2027.
“He’s undergone intensive training for nearly two years—first in Russia and then in the United States alongside his fellow international crewmates,” Malhotra said. He added that this rigorous preparation has made Shukla fully mission-ready.
Shukla, who will serve as the co-pilot on the Ax-4 mission, will fly alongside American astronaut Peggy Whitson, who will command the flight. Malhotra emphasized Shukla’s critical role: “He will assist in docking the spacecraft with the ISS and take over manual control if needed, in case of a failure in the automated docking system.”
Highlighting the broader significance, Malhotra said, “This mission doesn’t just carry one man to space—it carries the hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians.”
Malhotra also reflected on the dramatic evolution of India’s space programme since his own training decades ago. “There have been tremendous advancements in training, equipment, and mission capability over the past 40-45 years. Our astronauts are far better prepared now,” he remarked.
The Axiom-4 mission, scheduled for launch on June 11 after a weather delay, features astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary—all making their first journeys to the ISS. Alongside Shukla are Poland’s Slawosz Uznanski and Hungary’s Tibor Kapu, marking historic second missions for their respective countries since the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The mission is a product of international collaboration between Axiom Space, NASA, and ISRO, further strengthening India’s ties in global space exploration.
