First Indian astronaut to stay on the ISS, second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma (1984)
Mission marks a major milestone for India’s ambition in human spaceflight and prepares groundwork for Gaganyaan (crew flights by 2027)
Born: 10 October 1985, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Education:
Schooling: City Montessori School, Lucknow
B.Sc. in Computer Science from National Defence Academy (2005)
Training: Indian Air Force Academy (Pilot)
M.Tech/M.E. in Aerospace Engineering from Indian Institute of Science
Military Career:
Commissioned as IAF fighter pilot in June 2006
Over 2,000 flight hours on aircrafts like Su‑30MKI, MiG‑21, MiG‑29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, An‑32
Attained rank of Group Captain in March 2024
Astronaut Career:
Selected in 2019 for ISRO’s astronaut cadre under the Gaganyaan mission program
Trained at Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Russia (2020–2021), and at ISRO’s Bangalore facility
Became the primary Mission Pilot for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax‑4) to the ISS on 25 June 2025
Spent 18–20 days aboard the ISS, conducting 7 ISRO experiments as part of a 60-experiment mission
Achievements & Significance:
First Indian astronaut to stay on the ISS, second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma (1984)
Mission marks a major milestone for India’s ambition in human spaceflight and prepares groundwork for Gaganyaan (crew flights by 2027)
ISRO's investment for training and flight logistics ~₹550 crore (US $60 million)
Did not take a salary for the mission; mission expenses sponsored by ISRO, NASA, Axiom Space
Return to Earth:
Splashdown occurred 15 July 2025 off California coast aboard SpaceX Dragon capsule “Grace”
Officially spent 20 days (20 h 2 m 59 s) in space
Commended by Prime Minister Modi, President Murmu, Defence & Science Ministers; hailed for inspiring “a billion dreams”
Personal:
Married to Dr. Kamna Mishra (dentist); they have one son
Fluent in Hindi & English; nicknamed “Shux” or “Gunjan”
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