India returns to space after 41 years with Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission to ISS

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla was on Wednesday headed to the International Space Station (ISS) on a historic odyssey marking India's return to human spaceflight after a gap of 41 years following a successful launch of the Axiom Space mission in the US with a four-member multi-country crew.

After multiple delays, Elon Musk's SpaceX launch vehicle with Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon-9 rocket blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:01 pm(IST) carrying mission pilot Shukla, a Group Captain in the Indian Air Force(IAF), former NASA astronaut Commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Tibor Kapu of Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland.

Family members, scores of well wishers and space enthusiasts gathered at watch parties across India, Poland, Hungary and the US burst into cheers as the rocket soared into the Florida sky from the same spot from where American astronaut Neil Armstrong, who was the first person to set foot on the moon, took off on the Apollo-11 mission in July 1969.

"Kamaal ki ride thi (It was an amazing ride)," Shukla said 10 minutes after the Dragon spacecraft was placed in orbit around the Earth at an altitude of 200 km as part of the Axiom Mission 4(Ax-4). The spacecraft is expected to dock at the ISS at 4:30 pm on Thursday, capping a 28-hour journey.

The footage beamed by cameras from inside the crew capsule showed the four astronauts strapped into their cabin, seated side-by-side in helmeted white-and-black flight suits.

The 39-year-old, Lucknow-born Shukla became only the second Indian astronaut to undertake a space flight, 41 years after his icon Rakesh Sharma’s eight-day space odyssey on board the then Soviet Union's Salyut-7 space station in 1984.

"We are orbiting the earth at a speed of 7.5 km per second... This is not just the beginning of my journey to the International Space Station, but the beginning of India’s human space programme and it is my desire that all the countrymen become a part of this journey," Shukla said in Hindi.

Congratulations poured in from all quarters as the Ax-4 mission astronauts entered the earth's orbit. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar among others hailed the space mission.

"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," Murmu said in a post on X.

"The Indian Astronaut, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is on the way to become the first Indian to go to the International Space Station. He carries with him the wishes, hopes and aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians," Modi said in a post on X.

The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Modi, adopted a resolution wishing Shukla all the success in his space mission.

"Greetings from India. Wishing you all the very best. To the crew -- Godspeed and spend as much time as possible looking out of the window. Have a fun time guys," said Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian astronaut to travel to space, in a video message.

The astronauts will spend 14 days at the ISS and conduct 60 scientific experiments during their mission. The commercial mission by Axiom Space, a US-based startup, is expected to contribute to microgravity research in areas including human physiology, nutrition, and seed germination in space.

In addition to the planned experiments, the astronauts are flying food that celebrates their heritage: Indian curry and rice with mango nectar; spicy Hungarian paprika paste; and freeze-fried Polish pierogies(dumplings).

Once in orbit, the astronauts revealed the name they gave to their brand-new capsule – Grace.

"Good things come to those who wait. Godspeed to the maiden crew of Grace," SpaceX told the crew.

Before the flight, Shukla, who has over 2,000 hours of flying experience on elite fighter aircraft, said he hopes "to ignite the curiosity of an entire generation in my country" and drive innovation.

"I truly believe that even though I, as an individual, am travelling to space, this is the journey of 1.4 billion people," he said.

Shukla is expected to participate in several outreach events during his stay at the ISS and also likely to interact with Prime Minister Modi.

Chants of "Hip Hip Hurray", spontaneous bhangra and quiet tears marked the watch party at Shukla’s alma mater City Montessori School in Lucknow.

"It's a great moment not just for us but for our country. What can we say at this moment, I am struggling for words now. My blessings are always there with my son," his father Shambhu Shukla told PTI.

"My parents started the day with prayers. We also spoke to Shubhanshu in the morning – he sounded confident, calm, and happy that the moment he had prepared for so long had finally arrived. He must have been nervous, but he didn't show it. That's just how he is," Suchi Shukla, the astronaut's sister, said.

Hailing the Ax-4 mission, the IAF said Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has set forth on a landmark space odyssey, carrying the pride of the nation beyond the Earth, and asserted that it is a reaffirmation of India's ever-expanding horizon.

The IAF post on X called it a "deja vu moment for India", coming after astronaut Rakesh Sharma's mission in 1984.

It also shared a profile photo of Shukla, with a caption "Trained in Blue, Bound for the Stars" along with a tricoloured message, reading, "Wishing You Success in this Glorious Mission".

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, too, shared his thoughts on the feat and posted on X, "The Space Mission carrying astronauts from four countries, including India, is going to be a significant milestone in the history of space exploration."

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also took to X and wished Shukla a "successful mission".

"Astronaut Shukla will also conduct microgravity experiments for R&D and academic institutions of India. Wishing him a successful mission," he wrote.

The much-awaited launch was originally scheduled for May 29 when technical snags, weather parameters on Falcon-9 ascent path, Dragon spacecraft and aboard the ISS led to multiple delays.

Wednesday's launch took place after a series of delays as SpaceX, Axiom and NASA scrambled to fix the glitches, and replenish the biological test samples as the four astronauts remained into quarantine that stretched nearly a month.

The Falcon 9 is a partially reusable, two-stage rocket developed by SpaceX. The first stage of the Falcon 9 is designed to return to Earth and land vertically for reuse.

As part of a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Ax-4 delivers on a commitment highlighted by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the station, according to a NASA statement.