Shubhanshu Shukla is a test pilot in the Indian Air Force and an astronaut affiliated with ISRO. He is the first among four astronauts to have traveled to space as part of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme and is currently participating in Axiom Mission 4.
Early Life & Education
Shubhanshu Shukla, originally from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, finished his education at City Montessori School, Aliganj. Inspired by the Kargil War of 1999, he took the initiative to apply for and successfully passed the UPSC NDA examination.
He completed his military training and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the National Defense Academy in 2005.
He was later appointed to the flying branch and underwent training at the Indian Air Force Academy. In June 2006, he was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force, holding the rank of flying officer.
Shubhanshu Shukla Career
Shubhanshu Shukla is a combat leader and an experienced test pilot, possessing approximately 2,000 hours of flight time across a range of aircraft, such as the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier 228, and An-32.
In 2019, Shubhanshu Shukla was selected to participate in the astronaut selection process by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), which operates under the Indian Air Force for the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.
Subsequently, he was among the final four candidates shortlisted by IAM and ISRO. In 2020, he traveled to Russia for fundamental training alongside three other chosen astronauts at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.
In 2021, his basic training was successfully concluded. He then made his way back to India, where he engaged in training at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bangalore. During this timeframe, he achieved his Master of Technology degree in Aerospace Engineering from IISc Bangalore.
On 27 February 2024, his name was officially disclosed as a member of the astronaut team during an announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the members of the astronaut team for India’s first human space mission at ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
Shubhanshu is currently acting as the mission pilot for the ongoing Axiom Mission 4, which is aimed at the International Space Station. This mission was launched into space on June 25, 2025, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
He is part of a crew led by Commander Peggy Whitson, along with mission specialists Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu. Fellow ISRO astronaut Prasanth Nair has been designated as the backup crew member; both underwent training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Personal Life
Shubhanshu Shukla is married to Kamna Mishra, who works as a dentist and was a classmate of Shubhanshu in school. They have a son together.
His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, has retired from his position as a government officer, while his mother, Asha Shukla, manages the household. He is the youngest of three children.
