On Wednesday, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered their heartfelt wishes to IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is making history as the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station (ISS).
Both leaders praised Shukla for advancing India’s presence in space and inspiring pride across the nation.
With this mission, India sees its return to space after four decades.
Shukla becomes the second Indian in space following Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 flight.
Taking to X, President Murmu posted, “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,” the post added.
Prime Minister Modi also echoed the sentiment, posting, “We welcome the successful launch of the Space Mission carrying astronauts from India, Hungary, Poland and the US.”
Highlighting the national significance, PM Modi noted, “The Indian Astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is on the way to become the first Indian to go to International Space Station. He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians. Wish him and other astronauts all the success!”
Shukla’s mission lifted off at 2:31 AM EDT (12 noon IST) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The crew is travelling aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.
The launch had faced multiple postponements before the successful take-off.
Ahead of launch, Shukla posted on X, “INDIA IS RETURNING TO SPACE, JAI HIND”
“After 41 years, India’s flag will fly in space again,” he further added.
In a heartfelt message posted earlier on Instagram, Shukla expressed gratitude to his wife, Kamna.
“Special thanks to @kamnashubha for being the wonderful partner that you are. Without you none of this was possible but more importantly none of this would matter.”
Shukla also shared a photo capturing their farewell through a glass wall. He expressed gratitude to all those who contributed to the mission.
Shukla is serving as the pilot on this international journey, led by Commander Peggy Whitson of the United States.
The crew also includes Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both mission specialists.
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