Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who created history by becoming the first Indian to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS), was awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest award for bravery in peacetime, on Sunday.
The honor was approved by President Droupadi Murmu on the eve of Republic Day as part of the gallantry awards announced for 70 members of the armed forces, including six posthumous awardees.
In June last year, Shukla became the second Indian to travel to space and the first to visit the ISS as part of the historic Axiom Mission-4 (Ax-4). Its 18-day space mission came 41 years after cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma’s historic flight aboard Russia’s Soyuz-11 mission, marking a major milestone in India’s manned space journey.
The decision to confer the Ashoka Chakra on Shukla is seen as a recognition of the growing strategic importance of the space sector. This prestigious award is generally given to military personnel for displaying “most conspicuous gallantry” during peacetime.
A highly decorated fighter pilot, Shukla has accumulated over 2,000 hours of flying experience on a wide range of aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier and An-32. He served as pilot of the Axiom-4 mission and played a key role in expanding India’s footprint in manned space exploration.
After the mission’s success, Shukla became a household name, his contributions – including carrying out advanced scientific experiments aboard the ISS – earning him praise from global space experts.
The Axiom-4 mission was carried out by the private American company Axiom Space, in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
Among the gallantry awards approved this year are one Ashoka Chakra, three Kirti Chakras, 13 Shaurya Chakras – including one posthumously – one Bar to Sena medal (gallantry), 44 Sena medals (gallantry), six Nao Sena medals (gallantry) and two Vayu Sena medals.
Hailing from Lucknow, Group Captain Shukla was commissioned into the Indian Air Force Fighter Stream in June 2006.
