Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the pilot of the Axiom-4 Mission, delivered a heartfelt message after reaching orbit, marking a historic moment for India.
"Namaskar, my dear countrymen! What a ride! We are back in space once again after 41 years. It's an amazing ride. We are revolving around the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometres per second," he said, expressing the thrill of returning to space after decades.
Reflecting on the national pride the mission carries, he added, "The Tiranga embossed on my shoulders tells me that I am with all of you." He emphasised that this mission is not just about reaching the International Space Station (ISS), but about launching a broader vision: "This journey of mine is not a beginning to the ISS but to India's Human Space Programme."
Calling for unity and collective pride, he urged, "I want all of you to be part of this journey. Your chest, too, should swell with pride... Together, let's initiate India's Human Space Programme."
He signed off with a stirring patriotic message: "Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!"
India's space odyssey rewritten
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla scripted history on Wednesday as he embarked on a journey to the International Space Station (ISS) alongside three fellow astronauts, as part of Axiom Space’s commercial Axiom-4 mission.
The long-awaited mission lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 12:01 pm IST, greeted by celebrations across the globe. Among the cheering audiences were students and faculty at Shukla’s alma mater, City Montessori School in Lucknow, where his parents watched the historic launch with pride.
Born in Lucknow, Shukla is joined on the mission by veteran astronaut and Mission Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The Axiom-4 mission marks a symbolic return to space for India, Poland, and Hungary.
Shukla has become the first Indian astronaut to travel to the ISS, making the milestone 41 years after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s landmark eight-day mission aboard the Soviet Salyut-7 space station in 1984.
NASA has confirmed that the targeted docking time for the Axiom-4 crew at the ISS is approximately 4:30 pm IST on Thursday, June 26.
Shubhanshu Shukla space mission: Full Coverage