The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate will be a commander for a SpaceX mission to the International Space Station.

An alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will command a SpaceX flight at the end of this month NASA said.

During his time aboard the International Space Station, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla carried out seven India-specific microgravity experiments, highlighting the country's advancing expertise in space science and technology.

Shukla’s mission began with a launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on July 1, as part of the privately operated Axiom Space Mission-4. His arrival at the ISS marked a national milestone — the second Indian in space since Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission, and the very first to reach the orbiting laboratory.

Research on the ISS helped scientists tackle problems we can’t solve on Earth, from human biology to fire behavior and materials performance.