Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission patch to be issued as commemorative postal stamp

A mission patch created by designer Manish Tripathi and his team for the Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s historic Axiom Mission 4 spaceflight will be commemorated as an official Indian postal stamp on Sunday, marking a rare intersection of fashion, national symbolism and space history.

The Department of Posts will unveil the commemorative stamp in Bengaluru as part of a set of stamps on the theme India’s Human Space Programme on the occasion of the International Day of Human Space Flight (April 12, 2026).

The issue comprises two souvenir sheets-one featuring a design inspired by the mission patch worn during the Axiom Mission, and the other based on materials provided by ISRO. The stamps will be released in Bengaluru on 12 April 2026 to celebrate India's remarkable achievements in space science and technology.

The stamp features a design inspired by the mission patch worn by Group Captain Shukla during the ISRO-NASA-supported Axiom Mission 4, which launched on June 25, 2025, and carried the Indian astronaut into orbit for more than 20 days. During the mission, he orbited Earth 320 times at an altitude of 250 statute miles, traveling at speeds exceeding 17,000 miles per hour.

In an official letter to Manish Tripathi and his team, the Dinesh Kumar Singh, Director, Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) praised the design as “a symbol of artistic brilliance and a tribute to India’s glorious heritage and its remarkable journey in space exploration. The mission patch encapsulates centuries of knowledge, tradition, and innovation, while reflecting the aspirations of a nation that continues to push the boundaries of scientific discovery.”

HSFC wrote in its commendation, “This contribution is of immense significance to us, as it will remain a cherished emblem of this historic mission and will inspire generations to come.”