1st Indian on ISS, Shubhanshu Shukla awarded Ashok Chakra; Kirti Chakra for colleague Prasanth Nair

Shukla is the youngest of 4 astronaut-designates training for Gaganyaan. Shukla and Nair trained at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre and Bengaluru’s Astronaut Training Centre.

(L-R) PSLV-C60 for SpaDeX launch, Shubhanshu Shukla, and Tianwen-2 | ANI, Wikimedia Commons, X/@AmbXieFeng

New Delhi: Indian Air Force Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who became the first Indian to go to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2025 on a private US mission, has been awarded the Ashok Chakra—the highest peacetime gallantry award. His colleague, group captain Prasanth B Nair, has also been conferred with the Kirti Chakra.

A statement issued by the Union Ministry of Defence Sunday evening said that President Draupadi Murmu approved gallantry awards to 70 personnel from the Indian armed forces, including six posthumous, on the eve of the 77th Republic Day.

The announcements included an Ashok Chakra, awarded to Group Captain Shukla, and three Kirti Chakras, including Group Captain Nair.

Apart from Nair, Major Arshdeep Singh and Naib Subedar Doleshwar Subba have also been named as Kirti Chakra awardees this year.

Thirteen Shaurya Chakras, including one posthumous, one Bar to Sena Medal, 44 Sena Medals, including five posthumous, six Nao Sena Medals, and two Vayu Sena Medals were also announced.

Shukla, while a group captain with the IAF, has already undergone training for the Indian human spaceflight, Gaganyaan, which is expected to take flight in the first half of 2027.

Group Captain Shukla, or ‘Shux’, which is his call sign, reached the ISS on June 26 last year, as part of the US-led Axiom-4 Mission. Shukla, along with his backup crew for Axiom-4 Mission, group captain Nair returned to India on August 17. Shukla and Nair are also part of the first set of astronauts preparing for India’s first human spaceflight, Gaganyaan, likely to take flight in 2027.

Shukla is a trained combat leader and seasoned test pilot, with over 2,000 hours of flight experience in various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.

In India, he is the youngest of the four astronaut-designated training for Gaganyaan. After being selected for India’s first human spaceflight in 2019, Shukla and Nair trained at Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Moscow, and at Bengaluru’s Astronaut Training Centre.

(Edited by Varnika Dhawan)