India has produced many space heroes. Some were Indian citizens, while others were of Indian origin but held citizenship of other countries. Here’s a clear and simple list with details about each person.
Indian Citizens Who Went to Space
1. Rakesh Sharma
- Year: 1984
- Mission: Soyuz T-11 (Soviet Union)
- Details: Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian citizen to go to space. He flew as part of a Soviet mission and stayed on the space station Salyut 7 for 7 days. He was a pilot in the Indian Air Force and is known for saying “Sare Jahan Se Achha” when asked how India looked from space.
2. Shubhanshu Shukla
- Year: 2025
- Mission: Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), by SpaceX
- Details: Shukla is a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force. He became the second Indian citizen to travel to space after 41 years. He is part of a private international mission to the International Space Station (ISS). His mission includes over 60 scientific experiments, and it supports India’s future human space mission, Gaganyaan.
Indian-Origin People Who Went to Space (Non-Indian Citizens)
| Name | Year(s) of Flight | Citizenship | Space Agency / Company | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalpana Chawla | 1997, 2003 | American | NASA | First woman of Indian origin in space. Died in the Columbia disaster in 2003. |
| Sunita Williams | 2006, 2012, 2024 | American | NASA | Record for most spacewalks by a woman. Ran a marathon in space. |
| Raja Chari | 2021–22 | American | NASA / SpaceX | Commander of SpaceX Crew-3. Selected for NASA’s Artemis Moon program. |
| Sirisha Bandla | 2021 | American | Virgin Galactic | Flew on Unity 22. Third Indian-origin woman in space. |
| Gopi Thotakura | 2024 | American | Blue Origin | First Indian-origin space tourist. Flew on a suborbital spaceflight. |
Others Worth Mentioning
- Anil Menon: Indian-origin American. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, but has not yet flown to space.
- Ravish Malhotra: Indian Air Force officer. Trained as backup for Rakesh Sharma in 1984 but did not fly.
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