Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station after the Axiom-4 mission was launched on Wednesday (June 25). The mission is led by Peggy Whitson, the most experienced astronaut in American history, who has spent more days in space than any other woman globally. The other two mission specialists are Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland Polish scientist and engineer Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski has made huge contributions to science and space research. He is part of the European Space Agency’s Astronaut Reserve Class of 2022 and was selected from more than 22,500 applicants. Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski joins the Axiom-4 mission as a mission specialist. Reuters/File Photo At the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, he worked as a reliability expert and project lead. From 2018 to 2020, he served as Engineer in Charge of the Large Hadron Collider, overseeing its operations. He joins the Axiom-4 mission as a mission specialist. Tibor Kapu Kapu is a mechanical engineer from Hungary who will also serve as a mission specialist on the mission. Before joining the Hungarian Astronaut Programme, he worked on space radiation protection at an aerospace technology firm. Tibor Kapu has completed 38 skydives and has run 21 half marathons. Reuters/File Photo In 2023, Kapu was chosen as one of four finalists from 247 candidates for Hungary’s astronaut training under the Hungarian to Orbit (Hunor) Astronaut Program. He has studied space engineering, health in space, and the history of spaceflight. He has also taken part in several scientific experiments. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Outside his professional life, he enjoys adventure sports. He has completed 38 skydives and has run 21 half marathons. Shubhanshu Shukla’s journey to ISS Shukla is the designated pilot for the Axiom-4 mission. He is one of the four astronauts preparing for India’s first human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, which is scheduled for launch in the first half of 2027. Originally from Lucknow, Shukla has served as a fighter pilot for over 16 years and has logged more than 2,000 hours of flying time. As part of the mission, he will lead research focused on food and nutrition in space. These studies have been developed with the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with support from Nasa. Over the course of his aviation career, Shukla has flown various aircraft, including the Su-30MKI, MIG-21, MIG-29, Jaguar, and Hawk. He is a qualified fighter combat leader and an award-winning test pilot. With this launch, Shukla has become the first Indian astronaut to travel to space in more than forty years, after Rakesh Sharma’s historic mission aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in 1984. With inputs from agencies