“Kya kamaal ki ride thi (what an amazing ride),” India’s astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla remarked as SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft entered the orbit across the earth inside 10 minutes of launch from NASA’s spaceport in Florida.
Group Captain Shukla, who grew to become the second Indian to journey to area, spoke in chaste Hindi to announce India’s return to area after a hole of 41 years, and urged everybody to be a a part of his journey.
“The Tiranga (Tricolour) on my shoulders tells me that I am not alone and I am with all of you,” the 39-year-old fighter pilot-turned-astronaut stated in his first remarks from the earth’s orbit.
“Namaskar, my dear countrymen. What a ride! We have returned to space after a gap of 41 years and what an amazing ride it was,” he stated.
“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,” Group Captain Shukla stated.
“Your chest, too, should swell with pride… Together, let’s embark on this journey of India’s Human Space Programme. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat,” Group Captain Shukla stated.
Group Captain Shukla scripted historical past by embarking on a area odyssey together with three others to the International Space Station as a part of a business mission by Axiom Space on Wednesday (June 25, 2025), 41 years after astronaut Rakesh Sharma’s spaceflight onboard a Russian spacecraft.
The Dragon spacecraft — named Grace by the astronauts — is anticipated to dock on the International Space Station at 4:30 p.m. IST on Thursday (June 26, 2025).
The 14-day mission on board the ISS will “realise the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland and Hungary.
‘Yun hi chala chal’… fighter pilot, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla units off on area odyssey
As he zoomed into area on board the SpaceX Falcon 9-rocket on Wednesday (June 25, 2025), Group Captain Shukla gave wing to the hopes of a complete nation – and realised his personal dream that seemingly first took form when he attended an air present as a baby.
The 39-year-old, who propelled himself into historical past as the primary Indian on the International Space Station and solely the second to go into area after Rakesh Sharma in 1984, has greater than 2,000 hours of flying expertise on a big selection of fighter jets over a decade-long profession within the Indian Air Force.
The Lucknow-born Shukla, who goes by the decision signal ‘Shux’, is a part of an ISRO-NASA supported business spaceflight by Axiom Space that blasted off for a 14-day sojourn to the International Space Station from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
Millions dream of hovering into area, to conquer that remaining frontier. And some like Shukla get to give it fruition.
His elder sister Suchi Shukla remembers when all of it first began.
“As a child he had once been to an air show, and he later told me how he was fascinated by the speed and sound of the aircrafts. Then he had spoken of his dream to fly, but of course there was no telling at the time how quickly he would embrace his dream.
“As an Indian and as his sister, it’s definitely a very proud moment, for this space journey of my brother is carrying with them the hopes and blessings of a billion Indians,” Ms. Suchi informed PTI forward of the launch that was delayed a number of occasions.
He is carrying the style of residence with him in his area odyssey, she stated.
The astronomer loves gajar ka halwa and moong dal ka halwa, she stated. “He wanted co-passengers on his space journey to taste them as well,” Ms. Suchi stated.
He was chosen to be a part of India’s astronaut corps in 2019 together with fellow check pilots Prasanth Balkrishnan Nair, Angad Pratap and Ajit Krishnan for the Gaganyaan mission, India’s maiden human spaceflight, which is probably going to be launched in 2027.
Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, a yr after his hero icon Rakesh Sharma’s historic spaceflight, Group Captain Shukla did his education from City Montessori School (CMS) earlier than becoming a member of the National Defence Academy.
“He has got that drive and that focus in him on what he wants in life. Once he decides, like, for example, to be the first Indian to go to the ISS, he focusses on it, puts his entire resources and his mind into it, and removes all other obstacles,” stated Nair, Group Captain Shukla’s back-up astronaut.
He was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2006, and has over 2,000 hours of flying time on a big selection of plane together with the Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, and Dornier-228.
He holds an MTech in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
Group Captain Shukla and the three different Gaganyaan astronaut designates underwent intensive coaching at Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre and ISRO’s Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru.
Group Captain Shukla’s crewmates on the Axiom-4 mission, commander Peggy Whitson and mission specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, describe him as “operational-savvy”, “focussed” and “wicked smart” when it comes to area applied sciences.
The crew shared their launch day playlist.
His was the tune “Yun Hi Chala Chal…”, an ode to life highway tune about journey and extra that he has taken to area. It is from ‘Swades’, the Shah Rukh Khan starrer fairly coincidentally about a NASA scientist.
The astronauts started orbiting the Earth 10 minutes after the launch, prompting Group Captain Shukla to announce India’s return to human spaceflight after 41 years.
“It is not just the start of my journey to the ISS but also of India’s human spaceflight. I want each one of you to be part of this journey, let us embark on India’s human space programme together.” Back residence on Earth and in his hometown Lucknow, CMS president and supervisor Geeta Gandhi Kingdon maybe put it finest when she stated, “We are all overjoyed. Though their rocket is yet to reach the space, we are already over the moon.” “From a curious young learner in our classrooms to a pioneering astronaut, Shux’s story beautifully encapsulates our school’s mission of ‘Education for World Unity and Peace’,” she stated.
This outstanding profession virtually by no means occurred.
It was sheer windfall that noticed Group Captain Shukla take his National Defence Academy (NDA) examination, his father Shambhu Shukla recalled.
“Some of his CMS classmates had brought up a form for NDA. One of them realized that he was overage by a few days and inquired from Shubhanshu if he would like to apply instead. That’s how it all started.” He recalled the precise second when the household learnt that Shukla had been chosen for the NDA.
“… truth be told, back then in 2001-2, we had a landline phone on which one of Shubhanshu’s friends had called. Mistaking me for my son, he had excitedly shared Shubhanshu’s result. That’s how we came to know about it. After that he went to take his interview and got selected there,” stated Shambhu.
He added that the household would have appreciated to see the younger man within the civil companies. But that was then. Today was the day of celebration for not simply his household however his college, friends, academics, his metropolis and the nation.
In Lucknow, Group Captain Shukla’s college CMS organised a “public watch party” to rejoice his spaceflight.
CMS can be the place he first met his spouse Kamna although the couple had an organized marriage, his father stated. They have a six-year-old son Kiash.
“The one great quality about my son is that even if you go to him with 400 kilogram of stress, you would return considerably lighter,” he stated.
During the 14-day keep on the ISS, the Ax-4 crew is anticipated to work together with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, college college students, and area trade leaders, amongst others.
Group Captain Shukla is about to conduct unique meals and nutrition-related experiments developed underneath a collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), with assist from NASA. ISRO has lined up a set of seven experiments for Shukla, who can even take part in 5 joint research deliberate by NASA for its human analysis programme.
It has drawn up plans to give attention to India-centric meals for finishing up experiments on the ISS, together with sprouting methi (fenugreek) and moong (inexperienced gram) in microgravity circumstances.
