Axiom-4 Mission: Shubhanshu Shukla’s Paycheck Will Shock You!
With just hours left for Shubhanshu Shukla to dock SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft with the International Space Station (ISS), the Indian Air Force pilot said he was thrilled to be in space.
In his first call from space, Shukla described the launch and said, “It was something else — and then suddenly, silence. Floating in the vacuum… it’s indescribable. An amazing, humbling feeling.”
He explained that he has been sleeping a lot, as his body is still adjusting to zero gravity — “like a baby learning how to walk, figuring out how to move and control myself,” he added.
As part of the Axiom-4 Mission, the Dragon spacecraft, named Grace, is scheduled to dock with the ISS around 4:30 PM IST.
Organized by Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), ESA (European Space Agency), and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, the Axiom-4 mission is a private spaceflight involving astronauts from four different countries. The crew will spend 14 days aboard the ISS, conducting more than 60 scientific experiments.
Shukla is set to make history as the first Indian to visit the ISS, and only the second Indian to travel to space, after Rakesh Sharma. Netizens have been curious about his paycheck for the mission.
It has been learned that the 39-year-old IAF test pilot will not receive a salary for the mission, as Axiom-4 is a collaborative effort between ISRO and NASA. India has fully funded his participation.
According to reports, India has spent ₹548 crore on the mission. The country views Axiom-4 as a stepping stone to the Gaganyaan Mission — India’s first human spaceflight program.
Shukla’s historic journey is considered a high-value investment in India’s space ambitions. His extensive training in spaceflight operations, microgravity adaptation, launch protocols, and emergency procedures makes his role in Axiom-4 a significant asset to India's human spaceflight program.
Set to launch by 2027, the Gaganyaan Mission will make India the fourth country — after Russia (formerly the Soviet Union), the United States, and China — to independently send humans into space.
Shukla’s participation will provide India with valuable first-hand experience of living and working in space. It is also worth noting that the IAF pilot is one of the four selected candidates for the Gaganyaan Mission.
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla drops another message from space, says "I am thrilled to be here". #ShubhanshuShukla #InternationalSpaceStation pic.twitter.com/P7eGtvIypD
— Vani Mehrotra (@vani_mehrotra) June 26, 2025
Also read: Axiom-4 Mission: How Shubhanshu Shukla’s Experiments on ISS Will Help India’s Gaganyaan Mission
