Modi: India needs 50 astronauts to power future space missions

India aims to train a pool of 40–50 astronauts to support its upcoming space missions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced during a meeting with Indian test pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently returned from the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Axiom Space’s Axe-4 mission.

“We need to have a reserve of 40–50 astronauts for India’s space missions,” Modi said, emphasising that Shukla’s experience will be instrumental in preparing for India’s first manned orbital flight, according to Indian media.

Shubhanshu Shukla played a key role in the Axiom-4 private space mission, which launched from Florida on June 25 and reached the ISS the following day. The mission concluded with his return to Earth on July 15.

During 18 days in orbit, he worked alongside astronauts Peggy Whitson from the United States, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The crew carried out more than 60 scientific experiments and participated in 20 outreach programs while stationed at the ISS.

Shukla also documented his training, experiences, and time on the ISS as instructed by PM Modi, to support India’s upcoming missions. “I remember very well the homework given to me by the prime minister. And I completed it very well. I am very excited to come back and share it with you all. I am confident that all that knowledge is going to prove extremely useful and crucial for us, for our own Gaganyaan mission,” Shukla said during a press briefing on August 1.

Modi stressed that the insights gained by Shukla during the mission will significantly contribute to the development of India’s manned space program and will be applied in planning the country’s inaugural crewed orbital flight.

India first announced its intention to send a national space crew into orbit in August 2018. Four crew members have already undergone training at Russia’s Star City and are continuing their preparation in India. The project, named Gaganyaan—from the Sanskrit word “gagana” meaning “heaven”—is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2027 under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Looking further ahead, Modi instructed India’s Department of Space Research to establish the country’s first domestic manned space station by 2035 and to plan a crewed lunar landing by 2040. He also called for the development of missions to place an orbital station around Venus and to land a module on Mars.

By Tamilla Hasanova