Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, the Chief of the Air Staff, released the memoir of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla titled “The Second Orbit: Belief of a Man… Dreams of 1.4 Billion Hearts” in New Delhi. Published by Vintage Books under Penguin Random House India, the book traces Shukla’s journey from an Indian Air Force fighter pilot to the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station. The release also marked the first anniversary of the historic Axiom-4 mission, which launched on 25 June 2025.
About the Book and Its Release
The Second Orbit spans 342 pages and is available in both paperback and hardback formats. Published under the Vintage Books imprint of Penguin Random House India, the memoir goes beyond the public celebrations of Shukla’s spaceflight to offer an intimate account of the years of training, setbacks, discipline, and determination that shaped his path. The book explores the inner struggles behind the astronaut’s journey and the weight of representing the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians.
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh described the book as a source of inspiration for the younger generation. Several senior officials attended the launch, including Sanjay Kumar IAS, Secretary of the Ministry of Education, and Seema Jain, Member (Finance) of the Department of Space. During the event, Group Captain Shukla interacted with students from various schools, sharing his experiences from space and encouraging them to pursue scientific curiosity.
Who Is Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla?
Born on 10 October 1985 in Lucknow, Shubhanshu Shukla was inspired by the Kargil War of 1999 to join the armed forces. After clearing the National Defence Academy examination, he was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in June 2006. He has logged over 2,000 flying hours across a wide range of aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. He is a qualified test pilot and a fighter combat leader.
In 2019, Shukla was selected by the Institute of Aerospace Medicine for the Gaganyaan programme, India’s first human spaceflight mission. He was one of four astronaut-designates chosen for training. He underwent intensive training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia between 2020 and 2021. He also completed a Master of Engineering in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
In March 2024, he was promoted to the rank of Group Captain. Later that year, he was chosen as the prime astronaut for the joint India-US Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station. For his spaceflight achievement, he was awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime military decoration, in the 2026 Republic Day honours list. He was also named as one of the 2026 Karman Fellows by the Karman Project.
Axiom-4 Mission: India Returns to Space After 41 Years
The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) was a privately organised spaceflight in collaboration between ISRO, NASA, and SpaceX. Launched on 25 June 2025 from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the mission carried four astronauts to the International Space Station. Shukla served as the mission pilot of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, which was named “Grace”.
The crew was led by veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson as commander, alongside mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The mission docked with the ISS on 26 June 2025, and Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS and the second Indian to travel to outer space after Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in 1984. In a formal ceremony aboard the ISS, Whitson presented Shukla with an astronaut pin, marking him as the 634th person to reach space.
During the 18-day mission, the crew conducted nearly 60 scientific experiments, of which at least seven were designated by ISRO. These included five joint science experiments between NASA and ISRO and two STEM-focused in-orbit demonstrations. Shukla engaged with students back on Earth through ham radio conversations and a live videoconference with the Prime Minister, helping popularise space science among young Indians.
Significance for India’s Human Spaceflight Programme
The Axiom-4 mission was not merely a commercial spaceflight. It served as a crucial stepping stone for India’s indigenous Gaganyaan programme, which aims to send Indian astronauts to low-Earth orbit aboard an Indian launch vehicle. The experience gained during the mission, including training protocols, mission operations, and life-support systems management, directly contributes to ISRO’s preparations for its first crewed mission.
Shukla’s memoir arrives at a time of heightened public interest in space exploration in India. The book bridges the gap between technical achievements and the human story behind them, offering a first-hand account of what it takes to become an astronaut. It captures the emotional and psychological dimensions of space travel that are rarely covered in official reports.
The timing of the release also highlights the progress India has made in human spaceflight. From Rakesh Sharma’s flight in 1984 to Shukla’s journey to the ISS in 2025, India has moved from being a passenger on foreign missions to actively participating in international partnerships. The upcoming Gaganyaan mission, India’s first independent human spaceflight, and the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station (Indian Space Station) represent the next frontiers of India’s space programme.
Key Takeaways
- Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, the 28th Chief of the Air Staff, released Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s memoir “The Second Orbit: Belief of a Man… Dreams of 1.4 Billion Hearts” on 25 June 2026 in New Delhi.
- The book is published by Vintage Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House India, and spans 342 pages across both paperback and hardback formats.
- Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station and the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma (1984), as part of the Axiom-4 mission launched on 25 June 2025.
- Shukla served as the mission pilot of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, was the 634th person to reach space, and was awarded the Ashoka Chakra in the 2026 Republic Day honours.
- The Axiom-4 mission was a collaboration between ISRO, NASA, and SpaceX, during which the crew conducted nearly 60 scientific experiments, including seven designated by ISRO.
- Shukla was selected for the Gaganyaan programme in 2019 and trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia, as well as at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
