Who is Shubhanshu Shukla? Axiom-4 mission carrying Indian astronaut

Shubhanshu Shukla is an Indian Air Force Group Captain and astronaut. He became famous in 2025 when he went to space as part of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). He is only the second Indian to go into space, after Rakesh Sharma in 1984.

Early Life and Education

Shubhanshu was born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He studied at City Montessori School in Aliganj. Later, he joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) and got a degree in Computer Science. After that, he trained as a pilot in the Indian Air Force Academy.

He also completed his MTech in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.

Career

Shubhanshu joined the Indian Air Force in 2006. He became a test pilot and flew many fighter jets like Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, Jaguar, and others. In 2019, he was selected for India’s Gaganyaan astronaut program.

He trained in Russia at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Center and in India at ISRO’s astronaut facility in Bengaluru.

Axiom Mission 4

On June 25, 2025, Shubhanshu went to space through Axiom Mission 4. This private space mission was launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in the U.S. using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Shubhanshu served as the pilot. The mission lasted around 14 days on the International Space Station (ISS). He conducted many science experiments during the mission, including research by Indian scientists.

Family and Personal Life

Shubhanshu is married to Dr. Kamna Mishra Shukla, a dentist. She was his childhood friend. The couple has a young son. He often shares emotional and loving posts about his wife on Instagram. His parents live in Lucknow, and he has two elder sisters.

Age and Hometown

As of 2025, Shubhanshu is 39 years old. He belongs to the state of Uttar Pradesh, India.

Instagram and Social Media

Shubhanshu is active on Instagram where he shares photos and updates from his space mission and family life. His followers admire his humility and dedication.