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NEW DELHI: India is all set to send another astronaut into space this May, marking a historic step forward in the country’s space ambitions.
The announcement came late on Friday evening following a high-level meeting in Delhi, where Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, and senior ISRO officials convened to review major upcoming plans for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Dr Singh stated that the mission would mark the first time an Indian visits the International Space Station (ISS), as well as being the first Indian astronaut to travel to space in over four decades, following Rakesh Sharma’s iconic 1984 mission aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft.
According to an official statement, Dr V Narayanan, Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, presented an overview of the status of various forthcoming space missions.
During the meeting, the ISRO Chairman confirmed that Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force is fully prepared to embark on a journey to the ISS next month as part of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission.
Scheduled for May 2025, Group Captain Shukla’s mission represents a significant milestone in India’s expanding international space collaboration. A highly decorated test pilot, Shukla was shortlisted under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Programme (HSP) and is considered one of the leading candidates for Gaganyaan - India’s first indigenous crewed orbital mission.
His journey aboard Ax-4 is expected to deliver critical practical experience in spaceflight operations, launch procedures, adaptation to microgravity, and emergency preparedness - all of which are essential for India’s future crewed spaceflight plans.
Officials highlighted the strategic importance of this mission. Unlike the symbolic nature of India’s first human spaceflight, Shukla’s mission is focused on operational readiness and global cooperation. His involvement reflects India’s growing engagement in international public-private space partnerships and underscores the country’s commitment to becoming a serious player in human space exploration.
“India is ready for its next space milestone,” said Dr Jitendra Singh, emphasising that partnerships with international stakeholders and the strategic momentum of projects like Gaganyaan demonstrate India’s commitment to becoming a global leader in space technology. He added that these endeavours are not solely scientific, but also integral to the vision of a developed and self-reliant India.
ISRO also updated Dr Singh on a number of key developments since January 2025. These include the public release of data from the Aditya L1 solar mission, successful demonstrations of docking and undocking technologies, testing of India’s most powerful liquid engine to date, and the landmark 100th launch (GSLV-F15) from Sriharikota.
Among the major missions lined up between May and July 2025 is the PSLV-C61 mission, which will carry the state-of-the-art EOS-09 satellite. Equipped with a C-band synthetic aperture radar, EOS-09 will be capable of capturing high-resolution images of Earth’s surface in all weather conditions, day or night.
Another significant milestone is the Test Vehicle-D2 (TV-D2) mission, designed to simulate an abort scenario and demonstrate the Gaganyaan Crew Escape System. The mission will also include sea recovery operations for the Crew Module, replicating procedures intended for India’s first human spaceflight.
In June, ISRO plans to launch the much-anticipated NISAR satellite aboard the GSLV-F16. This joint NASA-ISRO mission will study Earth’s ecosystems and natural hazards through advanced dual-frequency radar, combining NASA’s L-band and ISRO’s S-band capabilities.
The LVM3-M5 mission, slated for July, will support a commercial contract with US-based AST SpaceMobile Inc., launching BlueBird Block-2 satellites under NewSpace India Limited’s commercial launch programme.