Astrophotography Journey of Shubhanshu Shukla: "Through Practice, Our Skills Improved"
**India's Gaganyaan Program Makes Significant Progress with Axiom Mission 4**
On June 25, 2025, the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-04) successfully launched, carrying Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS). This milestone marks a significant step forward for India's human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, and paves the way for India to become the fourth nation to achieve independent human spaceflight.
Following the Axiom 4 mission, ISRO’s Gaganyaan program is on track, with a clear sequence of uncrewed and crewed test flights planned. The program emphasizes indigenous development of the launch vehicle, crew module, life support systems, and recovery operations, supported by a budget of approximately Rs 9,023 crore.
### Uncrewed Missions
The first uncrewed orbital test, Gaganyaan-1 (Test Flight 1), is scheduled for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025, with a likely launch window in December 2025. This mission will serve as a technology demonstration, focusing on validating new systems without any crew on board.
Planned for no earlier than 2026, Gaganyaan-2 and Gaganyaan-3 will be uncrewed missions carrying Vyommitra, a humanoid robot, to demonstrate life-support and other critical systems in orbit. These missions aim to further refine mission systems before human flight.
### Crewed Mission
The first crewed Indian orbital mission, Gaganyaan-4, is planned for no earlier than 2027. This mission will carry Indian astronauts—potentially including those currently in training—to low Earth orbit for several days. The mission is intended to make India the fourth nation to achieve independent human spaceflight, following Russia, the United States, and China.
### Key Points
- Progress: ISRO has completed critical ground testing for the Human-rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (HLVM3) and is advancing hardware integration for the first uncrewed flight. - Astronaut Training: Four Indian Air Force test pilots selected for Gaganyaan continue to undergo mission-specific training, both in India and abroad. - Images and Videos: The images and videos captured by Shubhanshu Shukla during his mission on the ISS are expected to provide further insights into scientific experiments conducted in microgravity and will be used for educational outreach by ISRO.
Shukla has promised to release additional images and videos from his space mission, including stunning close-up views of the Orion Nebula, with the Horsehead Nebula clearly visible in the centre. These images will showcase the incredible sights that can be observed from space and demonstrate the potential of India's human spaceflight program.
The experience gained from the Axiom 4 mission will support future missions and help ISRO improve its procedures, as it continues to push the boundaries of space exploration. The timeline for Gaganyaan missions reflects a phased approach: multiple uncrewed technology demonstrations in 2025–2026, followed by the historic crewed Gaganyaan mission in 2027.
Science and technology played a crucial role in the success of the Axiom Mission 4, with the Indian astronaut's spacecraft equipped with advanced systems, and ISRO's Gaganyaan program continues to focus on indigenous development of technology for space-and-astronomy missions. The upcoming uncrewed Gaganyaan-1 mission is planned to validate new systems and serve as a technology demonstration.
