India needs 40-50 astronauts for future space missions: PM Modi to Shux

Meeting ISS astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that India must build a pool of 40-50 astronauts to power its future space programme, including the Gaganyaan mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), and commended his contribution to advancing India’s space ambitions.

 

During their interaction at the Prime Minister’s residence on Lok Kalyan Marg, PM Modi stressed that India must prepare its cohort of astronauts to meet future demands.

 

“We need to have a pool of 40–50 astronauts for India’s upcoming space missions,” the Prime Minister told Shukla. He added that the officer’s experience would be invaluable for India’s human spaceflight programme, including the Gaganyaan mission.

 

Shukla shares spaceflight experiences with PM Modi

Shukla, who flew as part of the Axiom-4 commercial mission to the ISS between June 25 and July 15, shared his experiences of space travel and the international attention India’s space programme has received.

 

 

“Wherever I went, people were aware of what India is doing in space. Many were even more excited about Gaganyaan than me, asking when our mission is scheduled,” he told the Prime Minister.

 

As part of the Axiom-4 mission, Shukla joined three international crewmates: Peggy Whitson (US), Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski (Poland), and Tibor Kapu (Hungary) in conducting over 60 experiments and 20 outreach sessions during their 20-day stay on the ISS.

 

Gaganyaan mission enters final phase

The Gaganyaan mission is India’s first human spaceflight programme. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) plans to send three astronauts into a 400 km orbit for three days and bring them back safely. The project includes two unmanned test flights before the crewed mission.

 

As of May 2025, the Gaganyaan mission has entered its final phase with the first human spaceflight now scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.

 

Lessons from life in orbit

The astronaut also spoke of the challenges of space living, especially food logistics. “Cargo is expensive and space is limited. You try to pack maximum calories and nutrition into minimum space. Experiments are ongoing in this area,” he explained.

 

Dressed in an Isro astronaut jacket embroidered with his nickname Shux, Shukla presented Modi with the Axiom-4 mission patch and a framed Indian tricolour that he had carried to the ISS. The flag had been displayed behind him when he spoke to the Prime Minister from orbit on June 29.

 

Shux completed ‘homework’ for India’s future missions

Before his return, Shukla said he had completed the “homework” given to him by the Prime Minister — documenting his training, experiments, and stay on the ISS to strengthen India’s human spaceflight programme.

 

“I am confident this knowledge will prove extremely useful for Gaganyaan,” he said.

 

(With agency inputs)