India’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla made history in 2025 by travelling over 12.2 million kilometres in space. He orbited Earth 288 times from 400 km above over 18 days. His journey marked a milestone for India’s human spaceflight ambitions. The mission involved key players NASA, Axiom-4 and SpaceX, reflecting growing India-US space collaboration.
Mission Partners and Their Roles
NASA, the US space agency and ISS co-owner, facilitated the mission. Axiom-4, a private American space firm, provided astronaut training and mission support. SpaceX, Elon Musk’s company, launched the Crew Dragon spacecraft on its Falcon 9 rocket, carrying Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission was a goodwill gesture and symbolised deepening India-US space ties.
India-US Space Collaboration
India did not pay NASA a direct fee for Shukla’s seat. However, India bore mission-related expenses estimated at $55-70 million, including payments to Axiom-4. The partnership is part of broader cooperation, including the upcoming NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite launch and India’s signing of the NASA-led Artemis Accord in 2023.
Significance for India’s Gaganyaan Mission
Shukla’s mission was not a mere space trip. His experience is vital for ISRO’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight project. He gained practical knowledge in docking, emergency handling, crew coordination, and health management in microgravity. His psychological adaptation and isolation experience provide critical data for future Indian astronauts.
India-Specific Scientific Experiments
Shukla conducted over 60 experiments in seven categories tailored for India’s needs. These included: 1. Muscle degeneration and recovery with Ayurvedic supplements like ashwagandha and giloy. 2. Seed germination and growth of Indian crops such as moong and methi. 3. Genetic responses of Indian crop seeds to microgravity. 4. Survival studies of Indian strains of tardigrades, tiny resilient animals. 5. Photosynthesis efficiency of Indian cyanobacteria for oxygen and food production. 6. Testing Indian-designed human-machine interfaces in space conditions. 7. Psychological resilience and cognitive function assessments during spaceflight.
Impact on Future Indian Astronauts
Shukla’s hands-on experience transforms him into a ‘knowledge node’ for India’s space programme. His data will help refine medical protocols, telemetry, re-entry procedures and astronaut training. He is now a resource for training upcoming Indian astronauts, ensuring India’s human spaceflight ventures are safer and more effective.
Questions for UPSC:
- Point out the significance of international collaboration in space exploration with reference to India’s partnership with NASA and private companies.
- Critically analyse the role of indigenous scientific experiments in enhancing India’s human spaceflight capabilities with suitable examples from recent missions.
- Estimate the challenges of psychological resilience and cognitive function in long-duration space missions and suggest mitigation strategies.
- What is the NASA-led Artemis Accord? How does it influence global space governance and India’s space diplomacy?
