‘Group Captain Shukla’s flight was historic on many counts’

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla

’s 18-day stay aboard the

International Space Station

as part of

Axiom-4 mission

was historic on multiple counts. It represented India’s growing stature as a participant in global space exploration.
Shukla’s flight was the result of a new strategic partnership – in 2023, India and US agreed to jointly send an Indian astronaut to ISS. This collaboration reflects how far India-US space ties have come from the time India faced technology denial regimes. Today, Nasa treats

Isro

as a partner in cutting-edge projects, underscored by India signing the US-led Artemis Accords for moon exploration.