Shubhanshu Shukla gets Ashok Chakra: Why he’s only the second astronaut to win India’s highest peacetime gallantry honour

India has an array of achievers bringing laurels to the nation, but only a few stories shine as brightly as that of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla. Shubhanshu Shukla was awarded the Ashok Chakra yesterday. On the eve of Republic Day 2026, President Droupadi Murmu approved the Ashoka Chakra for this brave IAF officer-turned-astronaut, making him the first astronaut to earn India's most honoured peacetime gallantry award. He is a shining example of military valour with cosmic ambition, showing how courage isn't just for battlefields but also for the edge of space. Shukla's journey from a young dreamer in Lucknow to the controls of a spacecraft is no less than a turning point for India's space dreams. Ending a 41-year gap since Rakesh Sharma's flight, his journey is an inspiration to millions. This honour recognises not just skill, but the sheer guts needed to push human limits in orbit. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, born in Lucknow, began his career at 17, when he applied to the National Defence Academy using a friend's form, inspired by the Kargil War and an IAF airshow, without telling his parents, according to the official website of his school. He joined the IAF in 2006 as a fighter pilot, logging over 2,000 hours on jets like Su-30MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, and Hawk. Later, he became a test pilot and combat leader, earning a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering from IISc Bengaluru. In 2019, ISRO picked him for Gaganyaan, leading to training at Russia's Yuri Gagarin Centre, plus NASA and ISRO sessions. According to India Today, he was selected as one of four final candidates for the programme. Usually, this award goes to soldiers for courage in battle. But Shubhanshu Shukla earned it for his "conspicuous bravery" and "exemplary courage" while handling the high-stakes Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS). Shukla piloted the SpaceX Dragon "Grace" for Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), launching June 25–26, 2025, from Kennedy Space Center. He became the first Indian on the ISS since 1984, serving 18 days with a multinational crew led by Peggy Whitson. The mission was high-risk, meaning one error in orbital manoeuvres could mean disaster. Yet, he showed "conspicuous bravery" and "exemplary courage" as ISRO's sole rep, managing complex operations in microgravity. He is only the second Indian astronaut to win the honour after Captain Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to travel to space, who was conferred with the honour in 1985. Shukla led seven Indian studies, including space anaemia, cardiovascular health in weightlessness, alloy solidification for materials science, and protein crystal growth for drugs. These also covered life support systems, supplying data to Gaganyaan's 2027 crewed flight, a three-day orbit at 400 km for three astronauts. He returned safely on July 15, 2025, sharing his experience with PM Narendra Modi.Now, Shukla refines crew module safety via Test Vehicle Abort Missions, trains Vyomanauts, and upgrades human-machine interfaces using ISS lessons. As an important player in the Gaganyaan mission, he's set for India's first independent human launch.