Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s journey from the cockpit to orbit reached a rare point of recognition on Monday when he was awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award. In June last year, Shukla created history by becoming the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS). Also Read Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla brings space stories to Odisha kidsWith that mission, Shukla also became the second Indian to travel to space, 41 years after cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma flew aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984. Shukla’s recognition highlights how gallantry is now being defined across new domains of national service, including space. The list includes one Ashoka Chakra, three Kirti Chakra and 13 Shaurya Chakra awards, one of them posthumous.

Source: The Telegraph January 25, 2026 15:15 UTC