Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who created history by becoming the first Indian to visit the International Space Station, has been awarded the Ashoka Chakra, which is India’s highest peacetime gallantry award. The recognition is believed to be an acknowledgment of his extraordinary contribution toward the nation, upon strengthening the space and defence faculties of India.
In June last year, the 41-year-old Indian Air Force officer became the second Indian to travel to space, flying to the ISS as a part of the Axiom-4 mission. His 18-day space journey marked a historic moment for India, coming 41 years after Rakesh Sharma’s spaceflight in 1984 aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
Group Captain Shukla is one of the most experienced IAF test pilots, who has flown over 2,000 hours on a varied kind of aircraft such as Sukhoi-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. Such a long and distinguished flying career testifies to his skill, discipline, and dedication to national service.
His space mission marks a major milestone for India’s future space ambitions. It has played a very important role in preparing the country for Gaganyaan, India’s first human spaceflight mission, and the development of the Bharatiya Antariksha Station, or Indian Space Station.
Speaking after his mission, Shukla said that the experience gained from the Axiom mission would be extremely valuable for India’s upcoming space programs. He added that India is on a clear path toward human spaceflight, building its own space station, and eventually achieving a manned Moon mission.
The Ashoka Chakra honour celebrates not only his space achievement but also his lifelong service, courage, and contribution to India’s future in space exploration.
