10 things to know about Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the Indian astronaut travelling to space

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday announced Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla as the first Indian astronaut to be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) in an upcoming Indo-US mission, Axiom Mission-4.

ISRO said in a statement on Friday that Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has been recommended as the primary astronaut, whereas Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair has been selected for the program as his backup.

Ten things to know about Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla

-Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla was born on October 10, 1985 and was a Wing Commander before he was promoted to Group Captain. 

-The Indian Air Force officer was commissioned on June 17, 2006 in the fighter stream of IAF.

-Currently serving as a fighter combat test pilot in the Indian Air Force, Shukla has 2,000 hours of flying experience, including the Sukhoi-30MKI, Mig-21, Mig-29, An-32, Dornier, Hawk, and Jaguar. 

-According to an Indian Express report, Shukla was inspired to join forces by the tales of bravery from the Kargil War, which broke out in 1999 when he was just 14 years old. 

-Shubhanshi completed his higher education at City Montessori School, Lucknow. After this, he joined the National Defence Academy and was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in 2006.

-The Indian Air Force officer is married to a dentist from Jankipuram and is blessed with a four-year-old son. Notably, Shubhanshu is the first member in his family to join forces, reported Times of India.

-Shubhanshu's journey to become an astronaut began during 2018-19 when he enrolled for the programme. During the coronavirus pandemic, he spent the entire period in Russia for training, Shubhanshu Sharma's sister Suchi Shukla told TOI.

-His name has been recommended as the primary astronaut. Whereas Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan will be his backup for the emission. 

-After being recommended for space flight, Shubhanshu Shukla, along with Prashanth Balakrishnan, will commence his training for the mission in the first week of August 2024, ISRO said.

-Shukla is among the first four astronauts whose names were announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in 2024 for India's first human spaceflight set to launch next year. Apart from Shukla and Balakrishnan, PM Modi announced the name of Group Kaptan Ajit Krishnan and Group Captain Angad Pratap.