Friday 13 / June / 2025
New Delhi: In a transformative leap for its space ambitions, India is accelerating its astronaut training programme ahead of the much-anticipated Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.
Central to this evolution is the country’s collaboration with U.S.-based space company Axiom Space, alongside the active involvement of Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair and the emerging role of astronaut-designate Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla.
Together, they form a strong foundation for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) historic foray into crewed spaceflight.
Gaganyaan Mission: A national milestone
India's first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, is not just a technological milestone—it's a symbol of the nation’s growing stature in global space exploration.
Under this mission, ISRO plans to send Indian astronauts—Gagannauts—into low-Earth orbit on an indigenous spacecraft developed entirely in India.
The Gaganyaan mission aims to demonstrate India’s capability in human spaceflight and serve as a springboard for more advanced ventures such as space stations, deep-space missions, and international crewed collaborations.
Last month, ISRO chief Dr. V. Narayanan confirmed that the first uncrewedGaganyaan mission, featuring the humanoid robot Vyommitra, is scheduled for December 2025. This will be the first of three uncrewed flights designed to lay the groundwork for India’s inaugural human spaceflight, now anticipated in early 2027.
With meticulous planning, rigorous astronaut training, and strong international cooperation, India is on course to etch its name among the elite club of nations with human spaceflight capability.
Axiom Space: India’s strategic training partner
A standout development in India’s preparation for Gaganyaan is its partnership with Axiom Space, a leading U.S. space company known for training astronauts and managing commercial missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
In April 2024, India signed a strategic agreement with Axiom to train a new set of Indian astronaut candidates, in addition to supporting future crewed missions to the ISS and beyond.
This collaboration enables Indian astronauts to undergo high-quality training in advanced facilities, including EVA (spacewalk) training, mission simulations, and emergency preparedness, all designed to meet international standards.
Axiom’s experience with diverse international astronauts and its access to cutting-edge spaceflight infrastructure ensure that Indian spacefarers are mission-ready.
This initiative reflects India’s vision of blending indigenous development with global excellence, a model that is making Gaganyaan a benchmark for future crewed missions in the Global South.
Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla: The rising star
Among the astronauts preparing for India's first human spaceflight is Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla, whose story reflects the grit and ambition of India’s new generation of space explorers.
A highly experienced fighter pilot from the Indian Air Force, Shukla was selected as one of the astronaut candidates undergoing training at Russia's Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, and he is now at the forefront of India’s astronaut corps.
With flight hours in advanced combat aircraft, survival training in extreme environments, and exposure to high-G centrifuge simulations, Shukla embodies the ideal profile of a Gaganyaan astronaut.
His adaptability, leadership, and focus have earned him accolades from trainers in both Russia and India.
Shukla’s training with Axiom Space adds another dimension to his preparation.
By experiencing the best of Russian and American astronautical training regimes, he—and others in his cohort—represent a unique cross-cultural and technological bridge that reinforces India’s growing space diplomacy.
ISRO’s indigenous training ecosystem
While international cooperation remains a pillar, India is simultaneously strengthening its own astronaut training capabilities.
ISRO’s newly built Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) in Bengaluru has taken strides in setting up dedicated simulators, neutral buoyancy tanks, and high-altitude acclimatisation facilities.
In parallel, the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM) of the Indian Air Force has already established itself as a global-standard institution for medical evaluation, high-G training, and psychological conditioning of space-bound personnel.
The IAM has successfully tested life-support systems, ejection protocols, and emergency procedures for astronaut safety.
This holistic ecosystem—combining global experience with home-grown capability—will ensure India’s sustained presence in human spaceflight.
Space diplomacy through human flight
India’s Gaganyaan mission is not just a technological feat; it is also a vehicle for international cooperation and diplomacy.
With training agreements in place with countries like Russia and the United States, India is increasingly seen as a trusted space partner across geopolitical lines.
Moreover, ISRO's capability to launch astronauts using its indigenous GSLV Mk III rocket—renamed the Human Rated LVM-3—demonstrates self-reliance while fostering opportunities for future collaborative crewed missions.
Indian astronauts trained through Gaganyaan could serve on future international missions, including NASA’s Artemis programme or missions to commercial space stations being developed by Axiom and others.
Inspiring next generation
The momentum around Gaganyaan and the stories of astronauts like Shukla are already inspiring a new generation of scientists, engineers, and dreamers across India.
The narrative of Indian men and women journeying into space on domestically built rockets fuels a collective sense of national pride and scientific ambition.
To further this impact, ISRO is actively engaging with academic institutions through its “Young Scientist Programme” (YUVIKA) and student challenges related to space habitats, robotics, and space medicine, creating a talent pipeline for future missions.
Looking beyond Gaganyaan
The success of Gaganyaan is expected to open new doors for India’s long-term human spaceflight plans.
ISRO has already initiated preliminary studies on developing its own space station, expected to be launched in the early 2030s.
The station would enable India to conduct long-duration experiments in microgravity and establish a permanent Indian presence in orbit.
Additionally, with its growing capabilities, India is well-positioned to participate in international lunar and Mars missions in the coming decades.
A nation on the cusp of space legacy
With the Gaganyaan programme gathering momentum, bolstered by global partnerships and the emergence of capable astronauts like Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla, India is poised to carve its name into the annals of human spaceflight history.
The collaboration with Axiom Space underscores India’s smart strategy of blending global best practices with indigenous strength.
What once seemed like a distant dream now approaches tangible reality—an Indian astronaut orbiting the Earth aboard a made-in-India spacecraft, waving the tricolour in the vast silence of space.
As the countdown continues, the nation watches with excitement and hope. Gaganyaan is more than just a space mission—it is a declaration that India has truly arrived in the new frontier.
