India is back in space — after 41 years, through the Axiom-4 Mission. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a decorated Indian Air Force pilot, has made history by becoming the first Indian to board NASA’s International Space Station (ISS) and only the second Indian ever to travel to space, after Rakesh Sharma in 1984. Here is all about his incredible journey of how a boy from Lucknow became India’s latest space hero. From flying fighter jets to training at Russia’s Star City, to being chosen for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission, Shukla’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. Take a look. 

Amid the escalated tensions between India and Pakistan post the Pahalgam attack, the Indian Air Force conducted a historic air drill on a 3.5-km stretch of the under-construction Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Featuring Rafale, Jaguar, SU-30 MKI, and even a rare night-time operation, this marks India’s first expressway equipped for round-the-clock military landings. A senior IAF official called the event “a testament to India’s growing defence capabilities and the synergy between civilian infrastructure and military strategy.”