Indian Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla becomes the first Indian to travel to space in a private mission, marking the nation’s return to human spaceflight after four decades.
India marked a powerful comeback to human spaceflight as Indian Air Force’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla delivered his first message from orbit. “We’re now orbiting the Earth. This signals the dawn of India’s venture into human space exploration.” Jai Hind, Jai Bharat,” he declared from aboard the Dragon spacecraft, shortly after its separation from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 upper stage.
The historic Axiom-4 missions lifted off at 12:01 pm IST from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 25. Alongside Shukla are three international crewmates: Peggy Whitson, a veteran astronaut from the U.S. heading the mission is Peggy Whitson, with Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary by her side. Each one brings something unique to the table—different backgrounds, different strengths, all part of the same mission.
For India, this isn’t just another space launch. It’s been 41 years since Rakesh Sharma looked down at Earth. Now, India’s back in space—but this time, it’s different. Not a government mission. Not ISRO at the helm. This is something new. A step into the world of private space travel.
The Axiom-4 mission is run by Axiom Space, a Houston-based private aerospace company. It’s their fourth mission sending astronauts to the International Space Station—and the first time an Indian is part of that ride.
The final countdown wasn’t smooth. Engineers scrambled to resolve a last-minute glitch involving real-time wind data—essential for the Launch Escape System. The issue was fixed barely a minute before the irreversible phase of the countdown.
Once in orbit, Shukla’s voice beamed with pride. “We are again in space; our 41 years of longing is over. We’re moving at 7.5 km per second. “The Tiranga on my shoulder reminds me that I carry each one of you with me,” he said, urging Indians everywhere to be part of the Human Space Programme—not merely as spectators, but as active dreamers and believers in this shared journey.
The Dragon spacecraft, aptly named *Endurance*, is now heading toward the ISS. Docking is expected around 4:30 pm IST tomorrow, setting the stage for a new chapter in India’s space story.
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