Photo credit: PTI, gagan.shux/Instagram
Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s first astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS), has marked 20 years since his commissioning into the Indian Air Force (IAF). In a reflective post on social media, he looked back on his journey in uniform, describing it as ‘a life well-lived.’Group captain Shukla wrote in the post, “Twenty years ago today, I pinned on my ranks, marched out of the Air Force Academy, and became a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force.” He added, “Twenty years. Somehow it feels like five. I think that’s the quiet honesty of a life well-lived — the good years don’t drag, they fly.”Shukla, who made history on June 26, 2025 as part of the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS along with three other astronauts, returned to Earth on July 15 after completing the mission.He reflected on his career in the IAF and the experiences that shaped him. “I genuinely don’t know how to express how fortunate I feel. Not in a polished, speech-giving kind of way — but in the way that catches you off guard on an ordinary Tuesday,” he wrote.He said he was entrusted with flying fighter aircraft at a young age and given leadership responsibilities before fully understanding the weight and responsibility involved. “They handed me the controls of a fighter aircraft when I was still young enough to be reckless”, he wrote.He has also been selected as one of the four astronauts for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission, the country’s first human spaceflight programme. In the post, Shukla credited the Indian Air Force for shaping his professional and personal life. Reflecting of the failures he wrote, “The failures taught me as much as the victories”.Shukla described his entry into the Indian Air Force as a mix of personal choice and fate, saying he felt guided by a larger force and expressed deep gratitude for the journey it led him on.Commissioned into the IAF fighter stream in June 2006, Shukla has accumulated over 2,000 flying hours across aircraft including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier and An-32. He was elevated to the rank of Group Captain in March 2024.
