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Asha Shukla, mother of Group Captain and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, gets emotional as she cheers for her son and says, "Everyone is happy. These are tears of joy..."

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, said, "It feels great. This was all God's blessings..."

Meanwhile, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green, Frances Adamson, Governor of South Australia and others share sweets to celebrate the launch of Axiom 4 Mission piloted by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is piloting the Axiom-4 mission that launched from Florida on Wednesday, 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 or 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 the 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 astronauts 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.

The advanced spacesuits ensure astronauts are equipped with high-performing, robust equipment and are designed to accommodate a wide range of crew members. The Ax-4 mission will conduct major research. The research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe.

This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station. NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) are collaborating to launch several scientific investigations.

These studies include examining muscle regeneration, sprout and edible microalgae growth, tiny aquatic organism survival, and human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity. The first private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 1, lifted off in April 2022 for a 17-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.

The second private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 2, was also commanded by Whitson and launched in May 2023 with four private astronauts who spent eight days in orbit. The most recent private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 3, launched in January 2024; the crew spent 18 days docked to the space station.

- ANI