South Africa tour of India 2019
President Murmu Awards Ashoka Chakra to Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday conferred the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, on Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla during the Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path in New Delhi.
Shukla created history by becoming the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and the second Indian to travel to space, 41 years after Rakesh Sharma’s historic mission. He served as the pilot for the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), an 18-day mission conducted in collaboration with Axiom Space, NASA, the European Space Agency, and ISRO.
A decorated Indian Air Force fighter pilot, Shukla has logged over 2,000 flying hours on multiple aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, and Hawk. His contributions during the Ax-4 mission included conducting advanced scientific experiments that received global recognition.
Hailing from Lucknow, Shukla was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2006. His achievement is being hailed as a major milestone in India’s human spaceflight journey and a source of inspiration for future generations.
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