Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla gets Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime military medal

Apart from Shukla, Group Captain PB Nair, one of the four designated astronauts for the Gaganyaan mission, has been awarded the Kirti Chakra.

Updated on: Jan 25, 2026, 21:53:37 IST

By HT News Desk

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Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been conferred with the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime military decoration, for his contribution to the space programme through his journey and stay at the International Space Station.

Shubhanshu Shukla recounted his space journey and being aboard the ISS. (Deepak Gupta /Hindustan Times File)

Shukla created history by reaching the ISS after launch by SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre on June 26, 2025. He became the first Indian astronaut to set foot on ISS.

However, among Indians who have gone to space, he is the second, after Rakesh Sharma, also of the IAF, who flew four decades earlier.

Sharma was also awarded the Ashok Chakra.

As a fighter pilot, Shukla has an impressive 2,000 hours of flight experience across various aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.

President Droupadi Murmu approved gallantry awards for 70 armed forces personnel on the eve of Republic Day, including six who would receive the honours posthumously.

These include one Ashoka Chakra, three Kirti Chakra, 13 Shaurya Chakra, including one posthumous, one Bar to Sena Medal (gallantry) and 44 Sena Medals (gallantry).

Apart from Shukla, Group Captain PB Nair, one of the four designated astronauts for the Gaganyaan mission, has been awarded the Kirti Chakra, the peacetime equivalent of Mahavir Chakra.

Here is the full list of the Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra awardees.

Full list of the three highest military decorations

Ashoka Chakra

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla

Kirti Chakra

Major Arshdeep Singh

Naib Subedar Doleshwar Subba

Group Captain PB Nair

Shaurya Chakra

Lt. Colonel Ghatage Aditya Shrikumar
Major Anshul Baltoo
Major Shivkant Yadav
Major Vivek
Major Leishangthem Deepak Singh
Captain Yogender Singh Thakur
Subedar P H Moses
L/Dfr Baldev Chand (Posthumous)
Rifleman Manglem Sang Vaiphei
Rifleman Dhurba Jyoti Dutta
Lt. Commander Dilna K (Navy)
Lt. Commander Roopa A (Navy)
Assistant Commandant Vipin Wilson (MHA)

Here is the full list of military medals awarded on the eve of the 77th Republic Day.

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HT News Desk
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