NEW DELHI, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government on Friday announced it will send an astronaut to space next month.

The announcement was made by Jitendra Singh, federal junior minister in the Prime Minister's Office, in charge of the Department of Space.

"The mission will mark the visit of first Indian ever to visit the International Space Station (ISS) and the first Indian astronaut to travel to space in over four decades after Rakesh Sharma's iconic 1984 flight aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft," Singh said.

According to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the astronaut identified as Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is all prepared to fly to the ISS next month as part of Axiom Space's Ax-4 mission.

"Group Captain Shukla's mission, scheduled for May 2025, marks a milestone in India's expanding international space collaborations," said a statement from the Department of Space. ■