Shubhanshu Shukla Becomes First Indian on ISS, Lifts Nation’s Pride with Axiom-4 Launch
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the astronaut, calling the moment “a proud day for every Indian.”
DIGITAL DESK- India etched a historic milestone in space exploration today as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a distinguished Indian Air Force pilot and ISRO astronaut, became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the international Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission.
Launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 12:01 PM IST, the mission marks a major step in India’s rising human spaceflight ambitions.
Shukla, hailing from Lucknow, serves as the mission pilot, alongside crew members from the USA, Poland, and Hungary.
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The crew will spend approximately two weeks in orbit, conducting over 60 scientific experiments, including 7 developed by ISRO. Shukla also carried Indian sweets and a personal memento for Indian space legend Rakesh Sharma, whose 1984 mission was the first by an Indian in space.
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the astronaut, calling the moment “a proud day for every Indian.” Social media lit up with tributes as Shukla’s emotional pre-launch message for his family went viral.
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The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS on June 26 at 4:30 PM IST, ushering a new era in India’s space journey.
