Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, one of India’s Gaganyaan astronauts, is set to launch into space today, June 25. Known as Shux, he’ll join a 14-day Ax-4 mission to the ISS with astronauts from the US, Poland and Hungary.
The mission is led by Axiom Space, a private company aiming to make space travel more affordable and build a private space station to replace the ageing ISS. Shukla will serve as the mission pilot and is set to launch aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft on the Falcon-9 rocket at 12:01 PM IST today.
Who is Shubhanshu Shukla?
Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Shubhanshu Shukla developed a love for the skies at a young age. He studied at City Montessori School and was inspired by the 1999 Kargil War to join the armed forces.
At just 16, he secretly applied to the National Defence Academy (NDA), a bold step that launched his journey to becoming an astronaut.
Shukla was commissioned into the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot on June 17, 2006. With over 2,000 hours of flying experience, he has flown aircraft like the Su-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar and Hawk.
He went on to become a test pilot and Fighter Combat Leader—roles that involve pushing aircraft to their limits, testing new systems and helping improve them, all of which reflect his skill, courage and deep commitment to aviation.
Know All About Shubhanshu Shukla’s Lucknow School
City Montessori School (CMS) is a co-educational K-12 day school with 22 campuses across Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. It was established in 1959 by Dr Jagdish Gandhi and Dr Bharti Gandhi, with the motto Jai Jagat (meaning “Victory to the World”), inspired by the ancient Indian philosophy Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (“The world is one family”) and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave. Jai Jagat has been the school’s traditional greeting since its founding, as per its official website.
CMS focuses on the all-round development of students, offering opportunities in areas like art, music, dance, drama, sports, debating, Model United Nations (MUNs), international student exchanges and youth leadership programs such as the Junior Youth Empowerment Programme.
In 2002, CMS became the first and only school in the world to receive the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education for promoting peace and tolerance through education.
Later, in 2013, it was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the largest city-based school in the world. The CMS Society also works as an NGO affiliated with the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI), supporting the UN’s goals and ideals.
CMS is well-known for its strong academic standards and consistently outstanding student performance. Remarkably, four of its campuses are ranked among the top 10 schools in India for having the highest number of ISC Class 12 graduates scoring 90 per cent or above in their final exams.