“What a Ride!” Shubhanshu Shukla From Space as India Returns to Orbit After 41 Years via Axiom-4 Mission

It is a proud moment for our country as an Indian returns to space after more than four decades, as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian Air Force officer, prepares to travel to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) which was launched today, June 25 will make Shukla the second Indian in space in 41 years, following in the footsteps of Rakesh Sharma's iconic flight in 1984.

Shubhanshu Shukla said his first words from space: "Namaskar, mere pyaare deshwashiyo... 41 saal baad hum wapas antariksh mein pahuch gaye hain...."

AXIOM-4 Mission

The Axiom-4 mission is a collaborative effort involving NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX. The four-member crew launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. They will travel aboard a brand-new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which will be launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The docking at the ISS is expected to take place around 4:30 PM IST on Thursday, June 26.

SpaceX has previously posted, "All systems are looking good for Wednesday's launch of @Axiom_Space's Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station, and weather is 90% favourable for liftoff."

This mission has faced several delays, first due to poor weather conditions and then technical issues, including leaks on both the Falcon 9 rocket and a Russian module of the space station.

A Proud Moment for India

The launch is definitely a monumental moment for India, with widespread celebrations already begun.

President Droupadi Murmu also posted on her social handle, "As Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla creates a new milestone in space for India, the whole nation is excited and proud of an Indian's journey into the stars. He and his fellow astronauts of Axiom Mission 4 from the US, Poland and Hungary prove the world is indeed one family - 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. My best wishes for the success of this mission, which reflects the enduring partnership between NASA and ISRO. The wide-ranging experiments to be performed by the crew will lead to new frontiers of scientific studies and space exploration."

"IFTOFF of Axiom-4! After 41 long years, an Indian astronaut is finally on his way to space! " The Indian Space Research Organisation posted.

Axiom-4 Mission Crew

The Axiom-4 mission will be commanded by Peggy Whitson, a veteran astronaut and the current Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space. Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot, while Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from the European Space Agency (ESA) and Tibor Kapu from Hungary's HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) programme will join as mission specialists. The Ax-4 mission is expected to conduct over 60 scientific experiments, ranging from life sciences to Earth observation.