Key Points

President Murmu said that the whole nation is excited and proud of an Indian's journey to the stars.

"As Group Captain Subhanshu 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', " President Murmu said in a post on X.

"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 further read.

https://x.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1937772163638988805

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is piloting the Axiom-4 mission said that India is returning to space after 41 years and called it an "amazing ride". Stating that the journey is the beginning of India's human space programme, he said the chest of Indians "should swell with pride".

The Axiom Mission 4 of Ax-4 launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 2:31 am Eastern Time (12 Noon IST).

In his remarks from onboard the Dragon spacecraft, Shukla said, "Namaskar, my dear countrymen, what a ride. We are back in space once again after 41 years. It's an amazing ride. We are revolving around the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometres per second. The Tiranga embossed on my shoulders tells me that I am with all of you. This journey of mine is not a beginning to the International Space Station (ISS) but to India's Human Space Programme. I want all of you to be part of this journey. Your chest, too, should swell with pride. You all also show excitement. Together, let's initiate India's Human Space Programme. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!"

For Group Captain Shukla, this will be an opportunity to emulate fellow Indian Air Force Officer Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme. Sharma spent seven days in space on board the Salyut 7 space station.

This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. The crew is travelling to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The targeted docking time is approximately 7 am Eastern Time (4 pm IST) on Thursday, June 26.

Once docked, the astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprised of science, outreach, and commercial activities. Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, is in command of the mission, while Indian Space Research Organisation Astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla serves as pilot.

The two mission specialists are European Space Agency project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. The astronauts are using the new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit, which provides them with advanced capabilities for space exploration while providing NASA with commercially developed human systems needed to access, live and work on and around the Moon.

- ANI