India Returns to Space After 41 Years

It’s a historic moment, 41 years in the making. Back on April 3, 1984, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma made history as the first Indian to venture into space, journeying aboard the Soviet Union’s Soyuz spacecraft to the Salyut-7 space station, where he spent nearly eight days in orbit.

Now, after 15,044 days, the nation is set to witness another proud milestone. On Wednesday, Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is scheduled to blast off as the pilot of the NASA/SpaceX/Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS). At 40 years old, Shukla will become the first Indian to participate in a NASA mission. Upon crossing the Kármán Line — the 100 km mark that officially begins outer space — he will etch his name into the annals of India’s space journey.