Shubhanshu Shukla

At-a-Glance

Awarded the Ashoka Chakra (2026), India's highest peacetime military decoration.
Serves as an astronaut (gaganyatri) with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Holds the rank of Group Captain in the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Became the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (July 2025) as part of Axiom Mission 4.
Is the second Indian to travel to outer space, following Rakesh Sharma in 1984.
Holds a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Jawaharlal Nehru University and a Master of Engineering in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Science.
Is a qualified test pilot with over 2,000 hours of flying experience on a variety of aircraft.

Biography

Shubhanshu Shukla is a distinguished group captain in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and a gaganyatri (astronaut) with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Commissioned into the IAF in June 2006, he has piloted various fighter aircraft and served as a test pilot. In 2019, he was selected as one of four candidates for the Gaganyaan mission, India's human spaceflight program.