Indian Air Force officer to travel to International Space Station on NASA's Axiom Mission 4, plans to do Yoga in space

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is set to make history as the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from the space station in Florida "no earlier than spring 2025" as part of a joint effort between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the US space agency announced on Thursday.

Speaking at an online press conference on Thursday, Shukla said he was "really excited" to experience microgravity as part of the Axiom Mission 4.

What will Shukla do in space?

Apart from his main duties as the mission’s pilot, Shukla plans to take items representing India's rich culture and diversity to space. He also revealed that he has been trying different types of Indian food with his crew and hopes to take some with him to the ISS.


When asked if he would perform yoga in space like Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma did, he said, "Yes, now that you have said so, I would probably demonstrate a few poses of yoga while we are up on the station."

Who else is on the mission?

The mission will be commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. Along with Shukla, the crew includes:

• Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland)
• Tibor Kapu (Hungary)

NASA said that this mission will carry the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to the ISS.

How will this help India’s space program?

Shukla believes the experience from this mission will be useful for India's upcoming Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send Indian astronauts to space in an indigenous spacecraft.

NASA’s ISS Program Manager Dana Weigel said, “As NASA looks toward the future of low-Earth orbit, private astronaut missions help pave the way and expand access to the unique microgravity environment.”

Inputs from agencies