From fighter jets to space stations: Shukla and Williams's journey
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla just made history as the first Indian to visit the International Space Station, joining the Axiom-4 mission alongside astronauts from the US, Poland, and Hungary.
The crew spent two weeks in orbit after docking on June 26, before safely landing near San Diego.
This marks a huge milestone for India's space journey—almost 40 years after Rakesh Sharma's legendary flight.
Training for the mission
Shukla trained for years with NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, taking on everything from zero-gravity drills to spacewalk simulations at top centers in Russia and the US.
Before launch, he and his team went through strict quarantine and special diets to prep their bodies for life in orbit—a reminder of just how much work goes into making space travel possible.