On June 11, 2025, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force will become the first astronaut holding an Indian passport to travel to the International Space Station, as part of the Axiom-4 mission.

He will be the second Indian to venture into space, following Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard the Soviet Soyuz T-11 mission in 1984.

Did you notice the similarity between the two astronauts?

Yes. Both are fighter test pilots from the Indian Air Force.

Even Indian-origin Sunita William was once a US Navy pilot and Kalpana Chawla, while not from a military background, was a trained civilian pilot.

This raises an important question: Are all astronauts pilots? Is it mere coincidence, or is there some logic behind choosing those trained to fly on the edge to travel beyond it?

The tradition of selecting pilots as astronauts dates back to the very dawn of the Space Age. In fact, the first human to venture into space in 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was a trained fighter pilot. Similarly, NASA’s first astronaut, Alan Shepard, was also a pilot from a military background. This choice was not accidental.

In those days, space was seen as a natural extension of the sky and rockets were the next frontier of aviation. It was only logical, then, that the first humans to venture beyond Earth were experienced pilots. These people are already accustomed to navigating high-stress environments at extreme altitudes and speeds.

Pilots, especially those from military backgrounds, bring a powerful combination of physical, technical, and psychological capabilities that align perfectly with the realities of operating in space.

To begin with, pilots are trained in systems thinking and real-time decision-making. In aircraft, especially fighter jets, they must interpret complex data, monitor multiple subsystems simultaneously, and respond to emergencies within seconds. This mental agility and situational awareness are directly transferable to the cockpit of a spacecraft, where rapid decision-making can mean the difference between mission success and failure or life and death.

An example of this was seen during the first human landing on the Moon. As the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle descended toward the surface, Neil Armstrong, relying on his fighter piloting instincts, realised the onboard computer was guiding them into a hazardous boulder field. With fuel running dangerously low, he took manual control and guided the module to a safe landing site, touching down with barely 20 seconds of fuel remaining.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (also a fighter pilot) faced another challenge after landing. A critical circuit breaker switch needed to ignite the ascent engine broke. In that moment of crisis, Buzz Aldrin used a felt-tip pen to push the circuit manually, allowing the engine to fire and ensuring their return from the Moon. It was a simple action with life-or-death consequences, made possible by the resourcefulness that comes with pilot training.

Pilots are physically well-prepared for the extreme forces of space travel. Fighter pilots regularly train to withstand accelerations of 5 to 9 g, conditioning their bodies to stay conscious under intense pressure.

This comes in handy during rocket launches, which typically exert around 3 g and re-entry, which can reach 1.4 g. In emergencies, such as a ballistic re-entry, G-forces can spike to 8 or 9 g, levels that can cause blackouts in untrained individuals, making them lose consciousness due to a drop of blood supply in the brain.

An example of this occurred during the Soyuz MS-10 mission in 2018, when a booster failure forced an emergency abort. Thanks to their training, pilot-cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin and NASA astronaut Nick Hague executed a ballistic re-entry and landed safely without injury.

Beyond the technical and physical, pilots are also trained in Crew Resource Management (CRM). This includes communication, decision-making, and teamwork under stress. In the high-stakes, close-quarters environment of a spacecraft, these interpersonal skills are as critical as any piece of hardware or software onboard.

Perhaps no mission better illustrates this than Apollo 13. When an oxygen tank exploded en route to the Moon, the crew, Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise (all three fighter pilots), faced severe power loss, freezing temperatures, and limited water. Yet their calm behaviour, shared responsibility, and piloting expertise allowed them to reconfigure the spacecraft on the fly and guide it safely back to Earth.

But what if you dream of going to space and you are not a pilot?

Don’t worry. You don’t need to be a pilot to become an astronaut anymore.

In the early days of space exploration, almost all astronauts and cosmonauts were trained pilots. Spacecraft were still experimental and dangerous. Missions were short and risky, so only people with flying experience were trusted to handle emergencies. Being a pilot wasn’t just helpful, it was essential for survival.

But over time, space missions changed. They became longer, more scientific, and more focused on learning about space. As the goals of space missions expanded, so did the people chosen for them. That is when mission specialists were introduced. These astronauts aren’t selected for their flying skills but for their expertise in science, technology, engineering, or medicine. They are trained to carry out complex experiments, operate special instruments and support the mission.

Today, astronauts come from all kinds of backgrounds. About 40% of all astronauts who have ever been to space were from non-fighter pilot backgrounds – and that share is now increasing. Some doctors study the impact of microgravity on human health in space, engineers who fix solar panels in ISS, teachers who inspire students, and scientists who run experiments in zero gravity.

Some astronauts have even been billionaires, artists, or public figures.

(This is an authored article by Srijan Pal Singh. He is an author and an IIM Ahmedabad graduate, who was the Advisor for Policy and Technology to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, 11th President of India.)

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